Almost out of the Sky
by MidnightOfTheSoul
Summary: Earth, 2012. Three years after arriving on Earth, Lee takes a break from his life in Washington D.C. and comes home to his family, friends... and Kara. AU post UBex
1. Almost Out of the Sky

**Title**: Almost out of the Sky  
**Pairing**:K/L... eventually  
**Rating**: M  
**Disclaimer**: RDM owns the characters, but I own the madness herein. Almost out of the Sky is taken from Pablo Neruda, who speaks to my soul.  
**Summary**: Earth, 2012. Three years after arriving on Earth, Lee takes a break from his life in Washington D.C. and comes home to his family, friends... and Kara. **AU post UBex**  
**Beta: **Thanks to the wonderful**workerbee73**, who heard this idea months ago and prodded me to get it done.  
**A/N**: This is a follow up to The Sacrifice which must be read first, otherwise you'll be all WTF? And hating me. Also, please be patient, all questions will be answered in due time. Thanks for reading!

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**Almost out of the Sky**

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It was mid-morning as Lee swallowed back a yawn, frowning at his empty coffee cup. He'd driven straight through the night, having grown impatient to be done with his solo cross-country road trip. It sounded great at the onset, but he'd already run through the loop on his iPod three times and he couldn't stand the sight of another rest stop teaming with grimy college kids on summer break.

Finally, Lee spotted signs for the small town of Ithaca Bay off the highway and took the exit, weaving through thick trees that created a dense wall of foliage against the Pacific Ocean. Driving through the seaside town, Lee tried to swallow back a wave of nostalgia. He immediately knew why his father chose this place to make his home with Laura. It was very similar to a vacation home Lee's grandfather had north of Caprica City. As soon as he and Zak could get home at the end of the school year, they'd arrive to find their father on leave for thirty days, packing up the car. Three hours later, Lee and his family would join his grandfather on his sun deck, sipping cool lemonade and tossing around a pyramid ball.

Only memories of kite flying, sandcastle building, and fishing came to mind. He remembered racing the waves back to shore with Zak while they browned their skin in the summer sun, toughening their feet against the craggy rocks. It was a time when his father was just his father, not his a war hero, not that distant man that always waved goodbye for an undetermined amount of time.

In short, it was heaven. Lee sensed that his dad might have just found a piece of that here on this new planet.

Driving along, he found himself in the quintessential small American town. Renovated shops stood next to older, lovingly worn storefronts, all painted an array of welcoming colors. There was even a large square, which seemed to be sandwiched between Main Street and smaller, residential streets. Pine trees lined many of the sidewalks — all seemed to lead toward the boardwalk set along the beach.

Lee smiled to himself. He admired the American spirit even if he didn't like their politics much. The town was small, only housed about 12,000 people, of which over two thousand were former Colonials.

He'd personally ensured that the Colonials would be placed in areas that were progressive — where residents were willing to accept newcomers who merely wanted a place to call home. It also helped that many countries were competing to get their hands on Colonial electronic and aerospace technology, as well as their advancements in medicine and hard sciences.

It had been his first act as the _Colonial Senator_, as the Americans dubbed him, to ensure a safe and positive environment for the fleet. Before his mind could slide backwards, he halted his line of thought abruptly. No—no thoughts about work for at least the next month. He'd save memories of the last three years of his life for when he had a full bottle of scotch on hand.

Lee finally found the street from the directions his dad emailed and couldn't help but grin. The road was lined with gravel and flanked with large, sturdy trees that led to the drive entrance. He turned his SUV through the gate and proceeded slowly as he took a chance to admire the view. It reminded him vaguely of the house in _North by Northwest_, which was pretty much the only thing he remembered from the film. Rolling his eyes at the thought, Lee still couldn't understand Romo's fascination with Alfred Hitchcock.

His father's house was on a corner lot that was set against an inlet of deep blue ocean water. The house was set on a cliff of sorts, where the water rushed up against the rocks down below, making the exact same _whoosh_ sounds he remembered from childhood. He had no idea how the Old Man could afford it, but he figured it had to do with some generous compensation from various governments for contracting.

The house, although impressive looking, wasn't all that large. His father in a small house was one thing, but watching Laura Roslin holding court in a two-bedroom house with little more than a kitchen, living area and courtyard would be a sight to behold. Still, they both claimed to love the simple life they kept, and from the way his father's voice sounded on the phone, Lee couldn't help but believe him.

He grabbed his large duffel and walked to front door. Lee knocked softly, suddenly feeling a little uncertain. He couldn't recall if he'd told his dad when he'd be arriving. He hoped they weren't at too much of an inconvenience with him dropping in like this. The door opened to reveal Laura standing in front of him with a luminescent smile on her face that warmed his heart immediately. Her head fell to the side as she took him in, a slight glisten to her eyes.

"It took you long enough," she whispered as she drew him in for a tight hug. He dropped his duffle to the ground as his arms encircled her waist, laughing as she muttered something about making her 'mascara run'.

"Get in here, it's getting chilly out. I guess you'll get your homecoming with a hearty storm," she said as she released him and took a step backwards, letting him follow her in.

"Bill?" she called and Lee heard a crash and some muttering in the distance. He looked at Laura and she rolled her eyes as she shook her head.

"Bill's taken to 'tinkering' with things lately, even when they don't need to be fixed. Keep him _away_ from my vacuum," she placed a hand on her hip and motioned around with the other.

"Grand tour?"

"Certainly."

"I'll take you to the guest bedroom so you can drop off your bag, you must be tired."

He followed her into the open living area lined with windows and into the kitchen, which had a flight of stairs right next to the fridge. She took him up the wooden stairs quickly and led him into small but a tastefully furnished earth-toned room with an incredibly large, incredibly comfortable looking bed taking up most of the space. Having gone close to two days without sleep, Lee was pretty sure that bed alone was worth the trip. A large window nearly eight-feet long and four feet high framed the bed, giving him a breath-taking view of the coastline and a bright white house nearby.

"I see you eyeing that bed. Don't worry, let me get some food in you, and I'll tell Bill to keep away long enough to let you sleep."

"It's all right. I mean, I haven't seen him in two years, he's probably forgotten what I look like," Lee said with a grin as placed his bag near a tall dresser and stood to stretch.

"Hardly. He watches the news like a five-year-old on Saturday mornings when he knows you're going to be on," she said as she turned to open the shades. He absently wondered what she knew about five-year olds as he quashed the guilt at having gone so long without visiting.

"Bathroom is in there, give the water time to warm up in the mornings, otherwise you'll be in for an unpleasant wake-up," she continued walking around the room, pointing out things he may be unfamiliar with. "Closet, and lastly, this door goes outside, so you don't have to trample through the house at all hours of the night, if you decide to stay out late or anything."

Lee emitted a shallow chuckle. "I don't think you've got anything to worry about there. Just looking for a little peace and quiet."

"Trust me. With the bunch that we've got around here, you won't be able to help yourself," she said as she led the way to the next room down the short hall.

"This is Bill's office, well, my office too, I guess," she said offhandedly. "Though, I tend to spend most of my time outside."

Lee took a look around and his eyes fell on a painting of the _Galactica_ hanging on the wall opposite his father's desk. He wanted to inspect it further, but found himself being sucked in by Laura's conversation. She led him downstairs to a large kitchen, outfitted efficiently with every appliance he could imagine. There was another full-length glass door that led out onto the deck, which gave off the appearance of floating on the ocean. Incredible to say the least.

"In case you haven't guessed, this is where we spend most of our time. I've been taking a cooking course which has been wonderful, and Bill certainly stopped complaining about me burning all the food."

"Cooking expertise wasn't a requirement for being Madame President?" teased Lee as Laura waved a beer at him from the fridge. He took it happily and popped the lid with his key.

She paused and smiled in that all-knowing way of hers. "It boggles the mind. Besides, I was ready for more… personally fulfilling activities," she said as she sipped her water. "Come on, we're almost done."

She made her way into the living area, a large, comfortable room filled with books and possessing another fantastic view. Lee imagined they liked to drink their coffee in here in the morning, watching the world wake up.

"Down that hall is our bedroom," said Laura as she motioned with her index finger, "can't imagine you want to see that. Out here is the garage, which has recently been turned into the room of destruction. Bill calls it a workshop, but I'm not quite sure what he thinks he's fixing in there."

"What did he destroy that has you all bent out of shape?" asked Lee, fighting his grin.

"Just wait. You'll see," she said as she opened the door. She wasn't joking. It looked like Frankenstein had gone on tour and his father picked up souvenirs. The guts of nearly every imaginable machine were hanging about left and right, only a few objects remained whole. It seemed that one particular… contraption was having parts added to it. _Was that part of a toaster?_

"Dad?" Lee couldn't hide his shock.

"Lee?" his dad stood up quickly, surprised at seeing his son. "Didn't expect you to get here until this afternoon."

"I drove straight through—couldn't wait to get here, I guess," he said automatically, walking around a disfigured fan sitting on the floor.

Standing face-to-face, father and son looked at each other with a couple years lost between them. Lee held out his hand for a shake, but his father grabbed him by the shoulders and wrapped him in a bear hug. This time, Lee's eyes watered a little, but when he pulled away he kept his gaze downward until he could seem a little more in control.

The Old Man didn't seem to be faring much better. He took a step back and motioned for the door. "Let's get some lunch. Laura's going to have my hide when she finds out I took her mixer," said Bill as he heard Lee chuckle and shake his head.

"Ohhh she is going to _kill_ you," said Lee. "Right in front of my eyes. At least I got a goodbye hug."

"Watch it. She still doesn't know it was you who broke her Gemanese vase a couple years ago," said Bill, effectively shutting up Lee as he led the way back to the kitchen.

Over lunch, Bill gave Lee the rundown on all the neighbors, who did what and where to go for this and that.

"Across the way in the Walker house is where Kara lives," said Laura as she motioned towards a Queen Anne style house, bedecked with a wrap-around porch, gables, and tower. It was the same one he could see from his bedroom. "If you ever get the chance, go explore it. Emily's mom, Ruby, used to own the house and would rent out rooms. That's actually how Kara ended up there in the beginning. Now it's just Kara, Emily and Max, Emily's son. I'd introduce you, but you'll meet them all soon enough."

Lee's eyes drifted over to the white house on the other side of the bay. So close. He shrugged and nodded before any more thoughts could form. "That's nice," he replied, trying his best to sound disinterested.

"When's Kara get back again?" asked Bill.

"Well the race is tomorrow, so I guess the day after," said Laura as she went to the fridge and retrieved some key lime pie.

"How'd you know that was my favorite?"

She gave Lee a wink and sat down, scooping out pieces for all three of them.

"Oh yeah, this hits the spot," Lee felt like his stomach would sigh in content if it could. A few moments later, someone knocked on the front door and then opened up, calling out for Bill.

"Danny?" Bill got up from the table and walked into the hall. "Come on in. I want you to meet my son, Lee."

Lee looked up as Bill entered the kitchen with a man slightly older than Lee's, who had a wide, easygoing smile and wavy dirty blond hair. He held out his hand and gave Lee a firm handshake.

"I feel like I know you already—I've heard so much about you," said Danny. "I'm Danny Parker. Welcome to Ithaca Bay. I hope you like it here; everyone else seems to enjoy it."

"Yeah, dad's had nothing but good things to say about this place."

"How long are you sticking around for?"

"Not sure yet, just taking a break from D.C."

"It's not too hard to get burnt out in that kind of business," Danny replied as he looked to Laura knowingly. "So Bill, I've got the circular saw for you in my truck, but Laura made me promise I'd give her a heads up if I leant you any more tools. Sorry," he gave an apologetic frown.

"I see Madame President never stopped being resourceful," cracked Lee.

"That's right, I always forget you two were big-shots," said Danny. "Well, still are, but that's besides the point. Anyway, sorry Bill, I think Laura wins this round."

"Not a problem Danny. I'll make do with what I've got."

"I bet," he said with a knowing smile. "Listen, Lee. If you don't have any plans later, we'll be getting together at Dizzy's on the pier if you want to come by around seven. Two-dollar pitchers and there'll be a couple games on. I think you know quite a few of the folks that'll be there."

"Really?" said Lee giving it some thought. "Why not? Yeah I'll drop by."

"Great. Bill can give you directions and he's got my cell if you need anything; it's pretty hard to miss regardless."

"Thanks," said Lee, feeling like it was the first time in a while he'd met someone who didn't have ulterior motives. It was a refreshing change from the endless cocktail hours he suffered through in Washington.

"Well, I'll let you all get back to your dessert," said Danny. "I'm off for a jog. I have to go exhaust Sherlock so I can get some sleep tonight."

"Good luck with that," said Bill. "I'd just tie that dog up behind my car and let him chase after it if I were you."

"The thought _has_ crossed my mind," said Danny with a grin. "Have a splendid afternoon, Adamas." Danny gave them all a wave and left.

"Danny's a great guy. I'm glad you had a chance to meet him," said Bill as he collected the plates and headed toward the sink. "Do you need any help bringing in your stuff?"

"No," said Lee as he stood from the table and pushed in his chair. "I brought most of it in already. I think I'll just go grab a nap for a bit."

"Sounds good. Want us to wake you for dinner?"

"That's be great," Lee's voice echoed down as he climbed the stairs.

"I don't think I've ever seen him look so worn-out," said Bill quietly as he rinsed the dishes while Laura dried.

"Or that glum" replied Laura pensively. "Well, hopefully he'll meet some good friends here and turn things around. Besides, Kara's coming back and they were always close."

"Not when the quarantine was lifted. Don't you remember?"

"It was nearly three years ago, Bill. Do you really think they could still be angry with each other?"

"Not sure. Never was with those two. We'll just have to sit back and enjoy the show," said Bill as he followed his wife out onto their deck and took a seat on their patio chairs. The breeze was cool, but the clouds still hadn't unleashed their fury yet.

"Either way," said Laura over the rim of her mug of hot tea. "I have a feeling things are going to get really interesting around here."

**.::.::.::.::.**

True to his word, Lee came out for a few beers and a good time. So good in fact, that he agreed to come out Sunday night as well, if only because Danny promised to be able to get Karl and a few others to show up.

Prior to his second evening out on the town, he spent the majority of his day with his dad and Laura, going to a local park and having a picnic, something he never imagined doing.

"What's so funny?" asked Laura as she began collecting the items to return to the basket.

"This," said Lee. "It's all so surreal. You, playing homemaker, dad fiddling around in the garage. Three years ago, if someone told me the two most powerful people in the fleet were going to be playing _Betty and Hal_ then I'd have bet against them with every cubit I had."

"First off," said Laura, detecting the hint of underlying sarcasm in Lee's voice. "Don't let your father hear you comparing him to a Caprican family vidprogram from our childhoods. Because, trust me, I am no _Betty Anderson. _Second, the whole point of being here is being able to start over, Lee. To have that second chance at life and take advantage of it, doing what we've always wanted."

"And this," said Lee as he watched his dad break away from a conversation with some neighbors, "this is what you want? A small house by the sea, a handful of Colonials and no problems? What happened to the politician I used to know?"

"She went to the same place Captain Apollo did, apparently," she retorted. Instantly regretting her harsh tone, she tried again more calmly. "Despite what you may think, you're doing a lot of good in Washington, Lee. We're all thankful for the sacrifices you've made. I know it wasn't easy."

Lee shut up at that, realizing that Laura hit on the greater issue with which he had contention. She heard the bitterness his voice and the fine accusation in his words. _Why was I the one who got stuck with all the responsibility while you and dad and everyone else got to come live their lives?_

"Shall we go for a turn around the lake?" asked Bill as he surveyed his two companions, sensing a little tension.

"Sure," said Lee quickly as he stood and extended his hand for Laura to grasp, looking at her with regret. She took it and gave him a solemn, knowing smile in return.

Lee struggled to push away the mounting anger and resentfulness, which seemed to be so difficult to contain as of late. Taking a deep breath, he tried to let his father's good spirits wash over him as they took the wooded trail near the lake's edge. He was saddened to find it wasn't quite doing the trick.

Lee showed up later that evening to Dizzy's and was welcomed with a round of hellos from all the new and old people he came across the prior evening. Set at the base of a far-reaching pier, the atmosphere was always merry. This was something Lee appreciated after suffering through the never-ending cutthroat crowds of politicos, lawyers, or scheming single-women. Glancing at the band around his finger, he smirked. That ring still didn't stop anyone.

He scanned the inside, eyes roaming over the impressively long and winding bar, the four billiard tables, the high-backed round tables already full of families and friends. It was quite the mix. Finally he spotted a familiar head of dirty blond hair outside on the deck and followed suit. Lee gave a shallow chuckle, but groaned inside for the poor man.

Danny, with his toothpaste-commercial smile, and 'nicest man alive' t-shirt, was cursed with wavy hair that bordered on curly. There was no doubt in his mind that this man had been called Goldilocks on more than one occasion. Lee had to bite his tongue in fear of poking fun when he hadn't yet earned the right.

"Lee Adama, where the frak have you been!?" a deep voice called out from behind Lee. Stopping, he turned and saw Karl Agathon, tall as ever, standing behind him. An unbidden smile washed over Lee's face, so happy to see such an old friend.

"Gods, Helo," said Lee with a hearty handshake and quick hug. "I've been wondering when you'd turn up."

"I ran into about five different people who told me you were in town, figured I should high-tail it out here and see what all the commotion was about. You're looking a little shaggy there, Apollo. They don't have a dress code back east?"

"Shaggy? It's only a couple inches longer than my CAG days. It makes me look a little bit older, besides, it's nice not having to get my hair cut every two weeks."

"Eh, Sharon does mine. Actually, she does all of ours," said Karl as he rubbed down his closely cropped hair. "She sends her love, by the way. Couldn't make it out tonight, but she's coming out tomorrow."

"Right. There's some bash for Kara and her training partner? Mike?"

"Sure is. We're not normally this lively around here. It should be a good time, though. Mike is one badass crazy mother-frakker. He just retired as a Navy Seal and decided, what the hell? One week before I get married, I think I'll go compete in an Ironman with the craziest woman ever."

"Wow. Maybe it's his way of handling the stress?"

"Ha," said Karl as he took sip of his pint while they walked to a nearby table and took a seat. "The man could be holding a bomb that was about to detonate in thirty seconds and he'd be asking about scores from the latest basketball game."

"Sounds like he's the only guy that could handle keeping up with Kara then," said Lee passively as he placed his order with a roaming waitress. Spotting them, Danny walked over and grabbed a chair, having finished speaking with a tall brunette.

"Who, Mike? Yeah, I think he has badass for a middle name," said Danny, picking up on the conversation. "What's up Karl? Haven't seen you around past couple weeks. How was the vacation?"

"Sharon and I took Hera down to Disneyland," explained Karl. "It was great for most of the trip. Until we found out that Hera gets… motion sick pretty easily."

"Oh, ew. Yes," said Danny in commiseration, "was it the tea-cups? Those'll get you every time."

"Disneyland?" asked Lee, mildly confused. "I thought it was Disney World."

"There's a Disneyland out here, about seven hours south," offered Danny. "Then there's Disney World in Orlando, Florida, which is this behemoth of a parent's nightmare."

"Right. Sharon mentioned that one for next year and I firmly put my foot down," said Karl, shaking his head.

"Really? She lets you do that?" mocked Danny.

"Shut-it, Goldilocks. When's that 'fro coming off anyway?"

"Leave my luscious curls alone," said Danny airily as he tossed his hair around dramatically, as Karl and Lee snickered. The three continued on their conversation, giving Lee vital tips on how to navigate the town and it's many personalities.

The brunette Danny was speaking with earlier returned a bit later, giving Lee a once-over, making him feel a way he hadn't in years. It was reminiscent of something Kara would have done and made him feel a little… off. Danny and Karl welcomed her to their table regardless, moving aside to allow her to pull up a chair. She had sharp dark brown eyes, and thick, dark brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Upon closer examination, he decided that she was a force to be reckoned with.

"So you're the famous Lee Adama that's got the whole town ablaze with chatter."

Lee looked at her sheepishly and was met with a hearty round of laughter from his three companions. If he'd known coming to visit his dad would entail an interrogation from a brazen Amazon, he might have stayed in Washington.

"Give the man a break, Emily," said Karl with a wide grin. "You'll have to forgive her, Lee. She just got off shift at the hospital and hasn't finished sharpening her claws yet."

"Watch it there, Agathon. I know where your wife keeps the leash," she shot back with a smirk. "Sorry, Lee. Don't let these peons give you the wrong idea. I'm Emily Walker."

If her smile wasn't disarming enough, the dimples definitely did the trick. Something about her name registered in his head with a resounding ding. Raising his finger, he waggled it at her knowingly.

"You're the one who lives across the way from my dad. With the beautiful house and the wrap around porch, right?" She gave him a knowing smile that also reminded him of Kara, but this time it didn't seem so creepy.

"The one and only. I'm pretty sure you know one of my housemates, too."

"Is that so?"

"Watch out Lee," warned Danny. "This one was born spitting nails. You'd think she and Kara were related somehow," he shot her a wicked grin.

"Spitting nails? Are you trying to ruin my good impression? I am nothing of the sort, don't listen to a word they tell you," she said with a huff. "I know we'll be seeing tons of each other, but I just wanted to drop by and welcome you to town. I've got to go pick up my son."

She stood and tucked in her chair, ruffling Danny's hair while Lee stood to officially hold out his hand. "Nice to meet you Emily, I guess I'll see you around."

Emily shook it firmly, just like Danny, and gave him a small smile that was tinged with a hint of mischief and kindness. Certainly a deadly combination.

"Count on it, Lee. See you later boys."

Lee took his seat as they watched her leave.

"She's…" Lee let his observation patter out. He wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Ha, don't let her prickly nature fool you. She's the nicest person you'll ever meet," said Danny as he took a deep gulp of his beer. "One of the smartest, too. Guess that's why she and Kara get along so well."

"Probably. Gods Lee, you should see them together. No matter the situation, you know you're going to have a good time if both Kara and Em are there," said Karl with a sigh. "I've got to head out and stop by the grocery store before it closes."

"It was good seeing you Karl," said Lee as he stood again to shake Karl's hand. "See you and Sharon tomorrow?"

"You kidding me? I'll be front and center," said Karl with an impish grin that made Lee a little nervous. "You should come out to the house sometime, we've got a great pool and hot-tub in our neighborhood."

As Lee's muscles clamored in reply, Lee found himself nodding before he knew what happened. Karl smiled at him and pounded Danny in the fist as he took his leave. Danny sighed loudly and leaned back in his chair, somehow managing to relax Lee. There was something about Danny, something he couldn't quite place that seemed so familiar.

Brushing the thought aside, Lee settled in for an evening of easy-conversation with his new friend. Lee learned that Danny was a physical therapist and also the athletic trainer for the local high school. They also chatted about Lee's job and the things he liked to do in his free time. Unfortunately, his extracurricular activities were frightfully slim, considering he had no free time.

"Don't worry, Lee," said Danny with his classic, carefree grin. "We'll remedy that."

As Lee looked off the deck of the restaurant and out onto the water, he knew Danny would hold true to his word.

**.::.::.::.::.**

The following day Lee found himself knee-deep in Laura's garden, helping his dad install a fence that would hopefully keep out scavengers. His father recruited him to assist in the task, sighting Lee's _strong politician _arms as an excuse. Knowing a backhanded slight when he received one, Lee went about proving his father wrong.

But as the afternoon neared to a close and Lee and his dad only finished half the perimeter, he couldn't ignore the strain and sting of muscles long since retired. Frowning as he glanced at his father, he shook his head. Reverse psychology 1, Lee Adama 0.

As the day wore on, Lee felt his unease grow as he considered the way he and Kara left things before everyone went their separate ways. As a cap to their be-all, end-all argument, Kara had kissed him with unrivaled tenacity. His lips still burned at the thought of it.

Three years had passed without a word exchanged between the two.

Parking his SUV outside Dizzy's, he glanced in the mirror. Lee never really cared too much about his appearance before, but seeing Kara again brought out a side of him that'd long since been buried. The need to _impress_. Lee laughed at himself as he climbed out and shut the door. What was he thinking? He was a married man who worked with high-powered politicians for a living, and he was worried about impressing a woman who'd left him high and dry on New Caprica.

_That's right, keep reminding yourself who the first person was to do the hurting. Maybe that'll make you feel better._ Lee swallowed back the thoughts that emerged in his mind occasionally, hoping that she wouldn't publicly eviscerate him. Nothing said _welcome home_ like a public flogging and a punch in the face.

He was welcomed with a chorus of hellos and slaps on the shoulder as he made his way through the merry crowd of gatherers, all appearing to be waiting for the triumphant return of Mike and Kara. Out of nowhere, he was wrapped in a tight hug by Cally and pulled back to see Tyrol just over her shoulder, waiting his turn.

"Welcome home, Sir," said Tyrol automatically, causing Lee to chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure we can drop the _sir_ now," said Lee as he clapped the man on the back.

"You'd think, but people still call me Chief. Not that I mind. It's hard to answer to anything else."

Lee smiled as they talked about their brood of children, including two boys and a set of twin girls, with one more on the way. Cally laughed as Lee's eyes grew large, nudging him in the shoulder as they all walked to where Karl and Sharon were waiting. Lee also received a warm hug from Sharon and was quickly besieged by questions from his friends about Ana, his job, and what it was like in Washington.

At some point in time, he felt his stomach lurch a little and the hairs on his neck stand up. Gods, he'd forgotten that feeling. Missed it even. Kara had to be near. He looked to the entrance where Karl, Danny and his friend Ryan had drifted, holding bottles of champagne with corks ready to blow.

A tall, lean looking man whom Lee took for Mike, entered, with his fists raised and a broad smile. From Lee's position in the corner he could just make out Kara as she came in behind Mike.

Even now, after all this time, the mere sight of her took his breath away and he wanted to hate the effect she had on him, but couldn't. Her hair was long and layered, a few inches past her shoulders, and her skin had the healthy glow of someone who enjoyed being outside. She also wore that Starbuck grin and swagger he knew so well, the one that made her hips shake _just so_. He immediately swallowed hard, wishing he could table his thoughts and just _be_ for once.

As Karl and several others unleashed the champagne on Kara and Mike, Lee heard her familiar cackle as she ducked for cover, then shrugged her shoulders in futility as she turned up her head to the gift of Bacchus' shower. She was absolutely radiant, and he had to hold on to the table near Sharon to stop himself from gravitating toward her.

A few minutes after Mike and Kara were appropriately doused in celebration victuals, Lee found himself in conversation again with Chief and Cally. The latter watched him knowingly as he kept casting furtive glances towards Karl and Danny who'd claimed first rights at being able to congratulate Kara.

Lee watched with interest as Kara's face clouded over at something Karl said and wondered if it was about him, but when she glanced at Danny with a familiar fleeting look, Lee knew something was about to happen that had nothing to do with him. Karl stood up on a stool and called out over the crowd as Kara tried to pull him down while Danny just grinned at Karl's antics.

"Attention, attention, ladies and gentlemen,' said Karl as Lee heard Sharon groan beside him whispering _Kara is going to kill him. _"I'm not sure if many of you recall this, but a couple months ago in this very establishment, Kara Thrace lost a bet in a very high stakes poker game. Her punishment was conditional, however. Does anyone recall the terms of the agreement?"

"I believe it was that if she finished in the women's top ten, she had to finally own up on a dare," called out Ryan, Danny's best friend. Lee caught the lethal glare she shot Ryan and smiled. This had such potential.

"See, Starbuck," said Karl as he looked down at her, in what were possibly his last words. "This is technically your fault. All you had to do was finish 11th and you'd have gotten off scot-free… Unfortunately for you, but great for us, you achieved your goal. So, we took a poll and the overwhelming consensus was that you had to kiss none other than former Ithaca Bay High School's Prom King and supposed reigning kissing champion."

As cheers and catcalls erupted, Lee watched Kara as Karl announced the verdict and found the Triad Face firmly in place. She definitely wasn't about to let anyone know what she was thinking, but Danny seemed to be a little surprised.

Kara stood up on the chair next to Karl as the crowd died down, flashing them a dangerous smirk. The effect she had on the patrons was not lost on Lee, knowing she could silence a room with just a look.

"I seem to be suffering a lapse of memory, because I do not recall having made this bet. Even if I did, I'm pretty sure there's a much better dare you fine people can come up with other than getting me to kiss Goldilocks."

Ah that did it. She was going to have to kiss Danny. Suddenly, Lee felt his stomach bottom out a little, even though he shouldn't even care. It wasn't like Kara to back out on a bet, regardless of what it was. That meant there was something to this kiss. To them.

"Aw come on! You afraid?" asked Karl from her side and Lee caught the withering look she shot him but couldn't hear the disparaging words she was no doubt unleashing. Danny stood up on the chair next to Kara and raked his fingers through his hair.

"I'm game if you are," said Danny with a small grin that looked more like a cover than anything. Lee was puzzled. It _was_ just a kiss, right?

"What, do you need to keep up your _reputation_?" shot back Kara in full form.

"Something like that," replied Danny. "Okay, what are the terms, oh mighty taskmaster?"

Karl looked at the two of them for a brief second and listed off the short list of requirements. Lee could see fleeting looks of anxiety on both their features and wondered why this was such a big deal.

"Ten seconds, make sure you keep your hands outside the clothes — we all know Kara's got roaming hands, Ow!" said Karl as Kara swiped him on the arm. "And if you pull apart prematurely you have to start over."

"Lords, I feel like I'm in high school," Kara groaned as she turned on the chair to face Danny. "Okay, you sure you can handle this?"

"I think the real question is if _you _can handle_ this_," he said with a challenging smirk as he looked out over the chuckling crowd, catching Lee's eye.

Clearly fed up, Kara suddenly grabbed Danny by the collar and pulled him towards her, crushing her lips against his. As Karl began the countdown, Lee watched the evolution of the kiss with the rest of the onlookers. There was something about it that struck Lee as odd. At first it was all show, just a regular kiss. But about half-way through, Danny cupped Kara's cheek and angled his head in a way that ensured for all who were watching that at least one of them was using their tongue. Lee watched Kara's hand tighten on Danny's collar as her other hand ran up his back, pulling them closer.

"Three Cap-ri-ca," Karl shouted while others continued to cheer. "Two Cap-ri-ca…"

As they kissed a second too long and pulled apart looking dazed and a little shaky on those chairs, Lee knew that he'd just watched something monumental happen, at least in the life of Kara Thrace. But as she stood there, looking at Danny uncertainly for a moment longer, Lee also realized that whatever it was, she'd run from it too, because he knew that look well. While everyone else cheered, Lee tried to hold back his frown as he watched her throw the crowd a patented wink, commenting on Danny being 'rusty' and hopped down from the chair.

It took Danny a second longer to gather himself, but he seemed to recover as he followed Karl and Kara over to where Lee, Sharon and the others were gathered in the corner. Judging by the tight way Kara was holding her smirk, she didn't seem too pleased by the dare, or with Karl, for that matter.

By this point, Lee had completely forgotten that Kara hadn't been made aware of his return. But as Karl seemed to remember and backed out of the way to reveal Lee, he caught the flash of surprise on her face at his being the last person she'd expect to find. Quickly though, her face fell back into a practiced smirk, one that left him wary.

"Lee Adama," she said lightly, ignoring the painful silence of those watching their reunion. She was right in front of him now, only a foot apart. Looking down, he saw that she held out her hand and was struck that not once in all his ruminations had he imagined this being the welcome.

Quirking his head to the side, he took her hand in his, "Kara Thrace," he said with a small smile, hoping to elicit a reaction from her. "This seems familiar," he said lowly and felt her grip tighten as she tilted his hand and rubbed her thumb across his. Before he could say anything more, someone called her away and detected the barest hint of relief that came over her features.

"See you around, Apollo," she called back over her shoulder, quickly escaping from the crowd gathered in the corner to stand beside Mike at another table.

"Your ass is so dead, Karl," said Chief from beside Lee, reminding him that he was in fact not alone on this planet with just Kara. Apparently their meeting wasn't nearly exciting for those who knew them both, probably recalling the days where one could have been burned by standing too close to Starbuck and Apollo during a row.

"Yeah, but it was _so_ worth it," said Karl as he clapped Danny over the shoulder. "Sorry man, I had to do it. When I polled the crowd after the race, it was almost unanimous in favor of the kiss. Which was crazy, considering the other dare entailed her having to walk around town with only her medal and a bikini for a week."

Danny gave Karl a rueful grin, but Lee could definitely pick up on something else. As conversation continued, Lee sat back and watched his friends as they laughed and celebrated. Apparently, he was the only one who caught the subtle glances that Kara and Danny kept giving each other.

Lee frowned as he drank his beer. As luck would have it, the first new friend he'd made in this town also happened to have a stake on Kara's heart. It's not like Lee cared though. No, he had other things to worry about. Like his wife 'working' for his buddy in New York; or a job that was killing his spirit, day by day.

_No_, he told himself emphatically, Kara Thrace was the least of his problems.


	2. The More You Ignore Me

**Title**: Almost Out of the Sky 2/?  
**Pairing**:K/L... eventually  
**Rating**: M for language  
**Disclaimer**: RDM owns the characters, but I own the madness herein. Almost out of the Sky is taken from Pablo Neruda, who speaks to my soul.  
**Summary**: Earth, 2012. Not only did Lee manage to steal her best friend, but he wrangled in her number one fan as well. _Sneaky bastard_. **AU post UBex**  
**Beta: **A thousand thanks to **workerbee73** (so busy, God love ya), who called for more _prickles_. Hope I delivered *g*  
**A/N**: If you made it this far and missed it, this is a follow up to The Sacrifice and must be read first. **  
Warning: AHOY thar be ANGST AHEAD!**

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**The More You Ignore Me**

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I am now  
A central part  
Of your mind's landscape  
Whether you care  
Or do not  
Yeah, I've made up your mind

The more you ignore me  
The closer I get  
You're wasting your time

-Morrissey, _The More You_ Ignore Me, the Closer I Get

.::.::.::.

A few minutes into conversation with Karl and Sharon, and Kara was already shaking her head.

"Let me get this straight. After just throwing me to the wolves an hour ago, you want me to give up Friday night so you two can get all romantic in the city?"

"Hey, I already apologized, Kara. Anyway, it's not just so we can…" Karl started. He quickly stopped at the dubious look Kara threw him. "Okay yeah, Kara. We want you to watch our only child so we can have a night together. There. I said it."

"Give me a break. You're forgetting I just took every kid under the age of seven to the zoo. The _zoo_, Karl. You know how I feel about the animals here."

"They aren't _that_ bad," said Sharon. "I distinctly remember you getting attached to the rhinos. Besides, it's not like you didn't have help."

"It was the elephants, and _what_ help?" Kara looked to the side where Danny and Ryan were throwing darts at the board. "Those two? Are you kidding me? I spent more time keeping them out of trouble than the kids."

Danny and Ryan had been best friends for over fifteen years. As two of the town's most formidable bachelors (well, one was at least), they could always be counted on for a good time, day or night. Even some mischief, when appropriate.

"Yeah, _tragedy_," said Karl. "So, Friday. You in or not?"

"What's in it for me?"

Karl shook his head and rolled his eyes, biting back a smile.

"How about we tell you a secret, one that you'd be the first to know." Kara surveyed two of her oldest friends and suddenly a thought struck her.

"Nope. Not going to work, Karl. The only thing valuable that you could tell me was if you finally managed to knock-up Sharon again." When no accompanying laughter followed, only the blank looks of two expecting parents, she nearly dropped her drink.

"Lords of Kobol, you've got to be kidding me!" said Kara, shock written on her face. "You can't even tell. How far along are you?" Sharon smiled as Kara wrapped her in a hug, clearly glad at the news.

"I'm almost twelve weeks in," she said, joy infused in her voice.

"You rascal," Kara swept Karl in a hug as well, still in shock, "first the bet, and now this. Keeping me in the dark all this time? And here I was making fun of Tyrol and his little army the other day. You didn't say a thing!"

"It's just," Karl paused, searching for the words as he hugged Sharon to his side, "this isn't the first time we've tried and we just wanted to make sure we were in the clear..."

"Oh, I got a good feeling about this lil' nugget. You're golden. No worries. And if you wanted to use this as a ploy for me to agree to watch Hera, then it worked. I'll be there on Friday. Might as well bring Max along and get him out of Em's hair for the night."

"You sure you're okay with it? We won't be out all night—" started Sharon. Kara caught the look of fear on Karl's face.

"Like hell you won't. Grab a room in the city; make the walls shake for all I care. But make sure you come back with that _just-frakked_ glow," she said with a wink.

"Charming, Kara. I can always rely on you to make even the most romantic of situations seem barbarian," said Karl as Sharon stepped away to head to the ladies room.

"That's why you keep me around, Karl. My charm and my sparkling conversation."

"Hey, is this one causing you trouble? Might want to toss her out back," said Danny as he walked over to the pair standing near the window. Kara rolled her eyes while he just stuck his tongue out in reply. _Wise-ass._

"If they were going to start tossing out patrons, I'm pretty sure your scraggly self would go first," Karl chuckled.

"Harsh Agathon. And I thought you always had my back," said Danny with a smile as Ryan walked up with another beer for him. "Oh, guys. Ultimate Frisbee Summer League starts next Saturday. You in or out?"

"I'm always in, you know that," said Kara.

"I should be good," said Karl. "I heard the Bay City team has that freight train on their team again. We need you to take her out this time, Kara."

"I frakkin' dislocated her shoulder in the finals, and that _was_ an accident," said Kara as Sharon returned with the Tyrols and Lee in tow.

"Accident my foot. I saw the smile on your face after she fell to the ground," said Sharon, shaking her head with a grin. "Sam sure was proud of you though, said he hadn't seen a move like that since his pyramid days."

"Sam's here too?" asked Lee with eye brows raised. He appeared to be assimilating bits and pieces of information as he went, but this knowledge seemed to surprise him for some odd reason. Rolling her eyes, Kara turned away and resumed conversation with Sharon, hearing only part of what Karl told Lee.

"Yup, Sam's a sergeant, working on base," said Karl. "He also organized the pyramid league for this area. You might want to jump in on the game this Friday afternoon. Sam's trying to reclaim the title from Kara's team. Let's see, what else? Oh, he and Jean Barolay got engaged a couple months ago. Looks like they'll have a pledging ceremony in autumn." Kara knew all about this. She was one of Sam's best friends and had even told him it was _about damn time_ when he mentioned the idea of proposing to Jean. It qualified as least surprising news of the year for gods' sakes.

Kara tuned them out as she walked outside, hoping to decompress a little and get some space between her and Lee. Bastard had the nerve to show up to a party celebrating _her_ and act like he hadn't been a complete and utter ass the last time they spoke. To make matters worse, he looked even better than before. Leaner, perhaps, but still trim. Why his stupid shirt just had to match his stupid eyes was beyond her. Not that she had noticed. _No_, she thought, she was certainly not paying attention to Lee Frakking Adama. Not his eyes or his shirt, or the way he just stood there—smug and superior and looking like he owned the place.

No, Kara decided, clenching her jaw. She could care less.

Lost in her thoughts with a scowl on her face, she didn't even notice that Emily had joined her.

"What's up? Don't tell me that kiss got you all bent out of shape," said Emily as she leaned against the railing, instantly spotting Kara's foul mood. "Too bad I missed it."

"No — nothing to do with the kiss. Lords know I've done much worse. I just… I am so tired of everyone trying to put Danny and me together. We are _just friends_. That's all we'll ever be. Why can't people get that?"

Emily smiled at her sadly and rubbed her on the arm, oblivious to the true reason for Kara's ire. Usually perceptive, Emily kept quiet, probably out of self-preservation. Kara bumped Emily in the shoulder and asked about the weekend. They took a few moments to catch up, exchanging details of Kara's trip and Emily's weekend in the way good friends are wont to do.

Kara couldn't help but laugh as Emily regaled her with a disastrous tale of Max attempting to make her breakfast-in-bed Saturday. As Emily described the story emphatically, Kara added Emily's story-telling abilities to the list of things she loved about her: Emily cried during sappy commercials, laughed at inappropriate times, and covered up Kara with a blanket when she fell asleep outside on the porch. As a single mother of six-year-old Max, she was a reluctant PTA member, eager participant in bake sales, kisser of scraped knees, and a full-fledged believer in mystery and adventure.

Not long after, Kara followed Emily inside and spotted Ryan talking baseball with Emily's fiancé, Jeff. If those two weren't a study in opposites, Kara wasn't sure what was. While Emily was brash and free-spirited, Jeff was even-tempered and quiet. Emily tended to be the life of the party, while Jeff would anchor the corner and nurse a beer all night. But to see them together was to know what it was like to _fit_. All Kara knew was that Jeff was one hell of a catch, cowboy boots and all. She couldn't be happier for Emily, who'd had her fair share of bad boyfriends, Max's father included.

"I heard you were making good on your bet earlier," Jeff said with a slow grin, his subtle Texan accent poking through here and there.

"No idea what you're talking about Jeff. I'm just trying to enjoy myself," she said nonchalantly as she leaned back on the bar and winked at Joe, who promptly delivered a soda, _two years sober and counting_ she chanted internally. "So, Emily told me about you and Max trying to make her breakfast in bed on Saturday. Good to know the whole fam was cheering me on."

"Please, Kara," said Emily as she ribbed Kara with her elbow. "As soon as the race started, Max was glued to the screen the whole time. He even passed up a chance to go to the movies because you were about to switch from cycling to running and he wanted to keep a look-out."

"You looked pretty good out there," said Jeff. "Coming in fourth out of all those women is pretty impressive. Beat a whole slew of men too."

"How far ahead did Mike finish?"

"Twelve minutes. He's a much faster swimmer than I am, but I made up for it during the run."

"Speaking of running," said Emily quietly as Jeff turned to resume his conversation with Ryan, "I've been watching you zig-zag all over the place while that one over there seems to be two steps behind."

Kara looked to where Emily was pointing at Lee who had on a dopey grin as he spoke with Sharon and Cally. Kara rolled her eyes as she settled against the bar, looking anywhere but at him. Of course, she missed the sidelong glance that he cast her as she did so, but Emily did not.

"Now, I know you told me that things between you two were complicated, but from what I've heard from everyone, he seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah well… that's because you haven't seen him around me yet. We have a tendency of… bringing out the worst in each other. I'm just trying to prevent an explosion. Think of it as a public service." Feeling Emily's keen eyes upon her, Kara turned away, only to be greeted by Lee. Lee with his stupid blue shirt that matched his stupid blue eyes and those godsdamned arms crossed over his chest.

"Lee, we were just talking about you," Emily said warmly, not betraying anything untoward.

"Good things, I hope?" he asked her while keeping his eyes on Kara, who stubbornly refused to meet his gaze. Unfortunately, she couldn't silence her disbelieving huff at Emily's reply.

"What else is there?" Emily gasped theatrically. "Well, would you look at the time! Goodness, I've got to pick up Max from his friend's house. How about you two catch up and I'll see you at home later?" Kara shot her a glare, but Emily just winked as she grabbed Jeff and headed toward the exit.

"You're avoiding me," he said stiffly as she turned to glance at him.

"Keen observation, _Senator_. Did they teach you those skills in Washington, or did you come by them all by yourself?" she bit her tongue and looked straight ahead, wishing she could keep her mouth shut for once.

"They're natural—just like your talent for being a smart-ass," he replied smoothly as he turned to the side and leaned against the counter, giving her a long, hard look. Kara didn't appreciate the scrutiny—she knew he was only looking for flaws. She remembered all too well what it was like to be sized up by Lee Adama and found unsatisfactory.

"I must admit I was surprised to find out you lived here. This area doesn't seem like it'd be somewhere you'd settle_._"

"Right, because you know me _so well_," she turned to face him and found that she was much closer to him than she intended to be. Close enough for her to easily get a whiff of his cologne and to see the fine stubble on his cheek. Only when he started clenching his jaw familiarly did she realize she was staring. She covered up her faux pas by reaching past him for the pretzels then slid back onto the stool of safety.

"Your friends are very nice," he said in a different tone, one that seemed almost reconciliatory. His change in tactics made her suspicious.

"Yup," she replied, trying not to sound too hostile. "Listen, I'm tired and sore. Been a long weekend. How about we have this little reunion when I'm on my A-game and there's a neutral zone?"

"Yeah, sure. I heard you've got a pyramid game on Friday. Mind if I drop by?"

_Pyramid._ Her team was bound to dominate yet again, and she couldn't help the excitement that boiled within her. The thought of him being there made her stomach do some peculiar action that she found unnerving. Maybe she was still dehydrated from the race.

"Yeah, you should come out, maybe we could use you," she replied sarcastically as she leaned over the bar and dumped her soda into the sink and filled the glass with water.

"Sounds like a plan," he almost sounded pleased. She raised her eyebrows at his response and tried not to laugh at his presumption. Her team was already stacked with great players and she strongly doubted he would be needed.

Kara downed the glass of water quickly and slid off the stool, entering his personal space once again, but this time purposefully brushing past him. Catching his sharp intake of breath, she sneered at him once there was adequate distance between them.

"See you around, Apollo," she didn't wait for a reply as she walked toward the exit.

"Danny, where's my boy? You didn't sell him did you?" Kara called as she waved to the Agathons, giving Sharon a knowing wink.

"Shoot. There was this nice couple who came by looking for a dog. Thought I'd oblige."

"_Funny."_

Danny led the way to his truck, asking her about the nasty looking-abrasion on her arm.

"Mike and I went surfing this morning. Not the optimal activity the day after a triathlon. I wiped out and got scrapped up on some reef."

"Hold up, let me look at it," he said as he grabbed her wrist and drew her to a stop. She could hear her dog, Sherlock, riffling around in the grass behind Danny's jeep. He examined her arm carefully, inspecting for any signs of infection. She just bit her cheek, hoping he'd let her go soon. Only, he seemed to have forgotten he was holding her arm when he started talking again, telling her to make sure Emily took a look at it.

"Thanks, _mom_," Kara said as she quickly yanked her arm away, rolling her eyes at him. He caught her drift and sighed.

"Hey, someone's gotta watch out for you, since you won't do it yourself." Danny stepped away and untied Sherlock from the back of the jeep.

"Is that why you're always mothering me?" she asked smartly as she bent down to bestow a loving hug on her giddy Weimaraner. Lanky, sleek, and grey with pale blue eyes, Sherlock's personality was the perfect compliment to her own: crazy out for a good time.

When Danny didn't respond she looked up and caught him staring at the restaurant with his hands on his hips. She knew that stance. It meant he wanted to say something and she probably wasn't going to like it.

"Danny, I'm not sure what's got your panties in a twist, but can you just save it for later? I'm beat and I'm pretty sure whatever you're going to say is going to put me in a foul mood."

"And that would be something new for you?" he shot back with a wry grin. She felt Sherlock start tugging on the leash and knew it was her cue to depart. She lobbed a half-hearted punch into his bicep and gave him a grin. He smiled at her, but it didn't meet his eyes.

"Thanks for watching my boy. Wouldn't trust him with anyone but you."

"Yeah, yeah. Great job, Kara. We're all proud of ya. I'll drop by soon so we can go over the plans for the wedding arbor."

"Gods I forgot. Remind me again who told Emily that she and Jeff should get married under an arbor, by the way? I'd like to extend an invitation to a boxing session."

"I believe it was the Old Man."

"Hmmm. Maybe not. See you."

He nodded as she headed towards her jeep, affectionately referred to as The Beast. Well, at least she referred to it affectionately. Emily more or less loathed the thing for it's less than stellar track record and fickle clutch.

Once she got home, Kara stored her gear and headed up the stairs as quietly as possible, hoping to stage an unexpected ambush. Grinning, she opened the door quietly and tiptoed into the colorful room, where a battle of epic proportions was being waged.

"Boo!"

Max yelled and flung his hand-held videogame across the room, ducking for cover. Kara cackled mercilessly as he poked his head out from under the covers, scowling then quickly jumping up on his bed, holding his arms open for a hug.

"That wasn't nice, Starbuck," he was missing two teeth and the _star_ came out a little funny.

"Just paying you back for last week. I nearly fell down the stairs," she said as she squeezed him tightly, taking in a deep breath of his just out of the tub smell.

"I said I was sorry," he said with a frown as he pulled away. "Where's your medal? Can I see it?"

"Tomorrow, Wild Thing. Get yourself back in bed and hand-over your video game. I'm pretty sure your mom said no more of those before bed."

"Aw Starbuck! I just got to the next level," he said as he crawled over and retrieved the device, thrusting it at her petulantly.

"And it'll still be there when you wake up, just like my medal," she said as she tried to ignore the voice in her head that said she sounded like her mother. "Lie down so I can tuck you in."

He grinned as she pulled the covers up over him and tucked all the sheets around him securely, giving him a sloppy kiss on the forehead.

"Night, Wild Thing" she whispered as she turned off the light and headed to his door.

"Night night, Starbuck," he said as he yawned loudly.

Face washed and first aid cream applied to her arm, Kara whistled for Sherlock and climbed into bed. Her dog loped up the stairs and curled up near her feet, also yawning. No more than five minutes later, doing her best to forget all her woes, Kara succumbed to a fitful sleep.

**.::.::.::.::.**

After a busy week of doing her best to avoid Lee and an eventful Friday afternoon playing an outstanding game of pyramid with him, Kara felt conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to give him a chance and welcome him like everyone else; but on the other, she just wanted him gone so she could resume life as usual. This involved travel, work, friends, and adopted family. Unfortunately, everywhere she looked lately Lee was there, mucking up her highly satisfactory relationships and comfortable existence.

Frowning to herself, Kara pushed all thoughts of him aside as she tried to get some work done. It was late Friday night and she was at the Agathons as promised, ensuring that Hera and Max didn't conspire to take over the universe. Leaning back against the couch with a fan of flight reports scattered all around her, she picked a stack to read as a movie played in the background. Hearing some shuffling, she glanced over and saw Hera yawn and stretch, her arm thrown carelessly over Max's legs. A soft knock at the back door told her that Danny had arrived with the hamburgers he promised from the post-pyramid cookout.

"Thank God you showered, I don't think the kids would be able to stand you if you'd stayed in your pyramid jersey." Kara hopped up and met him in the kitchen with her index finger held over her lips.

"Dude, keep it down," she whispered as she swatted him in the arm. "They _just_ fell asleep. That was after we played pirates in the back yard, went swimming for an hour, and I let them both run around with Sherlock until his tongue was wagging. Where do they get their energy?"

"Same place you do, I guess," said Danny as he watched her take a big bite out of her hamburger. "Good?"

"Mmm hmmmm," she grinned in satisfaction. "Want a beer? Karl restocked before he and Sharon left today," she said with a full mouth.

"Gross, Kara," as he stood and grabbed himself a beer and Kara a soda. "Swallow first. You're worse than a kid."

"You would know, smart-ass. How was the cook-out?"

"Same ol' same ol'. Lee seemed pretty interested in watching you and Sam have your 1 v 1 match afterward. I gotta say, it was pretty impressive, watching you and Lee play together during the big game. I'm still surprised we won."

She ended up being down a player and was forced to use Lee, since he was the only one with previous experience. It killed her to admit it, but he was probably one of the reasons why her team won.

"Mmm," she replied noncommittally, suddenly more interested in her hamburger than the conversation.

"Lee's a great guy, I like him a lot. He just seems a little too tightly wound." Danny was totally fishing. She wouldn't give in. She refused to speak as he continued, "maybe if we try to get him to open up a bit, see what happens."

"Lee's always been that way, ever since I've known him," she replied without thinking. Then a thought struck her. "Oh gods. Don't make him one of your charity cases. Just because he has a stick wedged up his ass doesn't certify you to go in there and dig it out. Trust me, I've tried. Doesn't work."

"_Really_? When did that expedition happen?"

"Leave it alone."

"Okay, what gives? I've seen you nearly everyday this week, and every time I mention Lee, you clam up."

"Since you're so buddy-buddy lately, ask him. I wouldn't want to get in the way of the bromance."

"What, you're jealous?"

"Yes, I am so overwhelmingly jealous that my heart twists inside out at the thought of you two becoming bestbuds. How _will _I survive?"

Danny frowned at her and she knew if she kept being so defensive, he'd only ask more questions that she didn't want to answer. She had to admit though, she was a little jealous, but only _slightly. _Lee needed go and find his own best friend dammit.

"Sorry, Danny. I just… can we not talk about Lee?"

His brow furrowed for a moment. "Sure. Yeah. How 'bout we put the Nuggets to bed?"

Hera's room was outfitted with a bunk bed where each kid was deposited gently, both snuggling underneath the covers. Kara kissed them both on the forehead, whispering quick prayers over their sleeping forms while Danny waited for her in the hall.

"Sometimes I wish I could show people what I see," he said quietly as he collapsed at one end of the couch.

"Yeah? What's that?" she asked as she stretched out on the couch with feet crammed against his thigh, completely drained from her long day. She whistled a short clip and the click of Sherlock's nails could be heard on the kitchen tile. A large dog, Sherlock suffered under the delusion that he was a lapdog.

"One of these days he's going to break one of us," said Danny as the dog settled himself between Kara's legs, head resting near her ankle. "Anyway, I know you think you're smart, that you've got everyone fooled. But I know better. I know you're just a softie underneath all that posturing you do."

"Posturing? What are you talking about?"

"C'mon. Though you don't outright say it, I know your job is dangerous, but… I mean, I see you with the kids, I see you with Em and Karl. You may be capable of serious damage, but I know you've got a good heart."

"Why Danny," said Kara as she held her hand over her chest. "Are you trying to compliment me? Is this you trying to butter me up?"

"Ugh, you're insufferable, you know that? Why can't you just take a compliment?"

Kara shrugged. "I don't know. Don't get them all that often."

Danny went silent and pensive like he normally did when there was something he wanted to say but didn't. She sighed at him and grabbed her reports off the table, using Sherlock's back as a desk while Danny scanned the channels, finally landing on the classic movie channel. Kara rolled her eyes at his selection. Of his many quirks, Danny had a thing for old Hollywood.

It took Kara all of ten minutes to nod off; only waking an hour later when Danny tugged her further down the couch into a more comfortable position. She muttered her thanks when he placed her reports on the table and covered her with a blanket.

"Night, Dan," she mumbled as he kissed her hair and left through the back door.

**.::.::.::.::.**

Kara spent the rest of her weekend ignoring anything that involved Lee and was largely successful. To her dismay, she completely forgot about Sunday Dinner. A weekly ritual at the Adama's house where she partook of a meal, often times ice cream, and the occasional game of chess with the Old Man. Fortunately, Max, who'd spent the day giving Lee a six year old's tour of town, asked if he and Emily could accompany Kara to dinner, easing the potential strain slightly.

_Wonderful_. Not only did Lee manage to steal her best friend, but he wrangled in her number one fan as well. _Sneaky bastard_.

As they all took their seats at the table and passed bowls around to one another, Kara found herself fighting the almost homey feeling she got with her dinner company. As much as she thrived on conflict and irritating Lee, she'd grown enough to know not to knock a man when he was already down. In the span of one week, she'd heard a dozen rumors pertaining to the reason for his visit, from being burnt out at work — to being left by dear old Dee. Kara could care less why he was here, just as long as he didn't stay.

"Starbuck says you're the best pilot she's ever flown with," said Max as he scooped in a spoonful of broccoli. Feeling several pairs of eyes upon her, Kara looked into her plate and wished she could face-plant into her salad. Before Lee could reply, Max continued on, broccoli florets and all. "She also says that you quit being a pilot so you could continue being a tight-ass working with other tight-asses."

"Max!" exclaimed Emily while Kara's eyes grew wide in surprise.

Through her fingers, she glanced over at the Old Man and Laura, both of whom seemed a little shocked, while Lee looked torn between surprise and consternation. The look itself sent her over the edge and Kara finally burst out laughing while Emily continued to chide Max. Laura followed suit, chuckling behind her napkin while the Old Man hummed a deep sort of laughter. Lee recovered well, casting Kara a _what the hell _glance and cracked a brief smile.

When the table finally quieted, Lee continued his conversation with Max, stating, "I guess she's right on both accounts, though all things considered, I may be the better pilot."

Kara grinned at the stubborn look of determination on Max's face, appalled by Lee's audacity.

"That's not true!" he said fiercely. "Starbuck is the best pilot that ever lived."

"Says who? Starbuck?" teased Lee, grinning at his young friend's indignation.

"No, the Admiral,' said Max. Kara watched as Lee cast his father a look of surprise tinged with resentment. Though she wasn't the Old Man's daughter, Kara definitely felt the faux sibling rivalry at that moment, and damn if she didn't feel ten sorts of awkward about the whole thing. In an attempt to rectify the situation, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"So, Lee, where's Dee? Did you leave the missus behind to hold down the fort?" she cringed inwardly as she spoke the words, knowing that this was a conversation better left for a time when they could punch each other in private. She watched as Lee closed up and clenched his jaw tightly, realizing that she managed to hit a button dead center.

"Ana is well. She just finished up her second year of law school and is clerking for a buddy of mine in New York," said Lee tightly. So tight, in fact, that she was sure he could squeeze out a diamond from his jaw muscles. "I was wondering, Kara what you do now. I've heard that you travel quite a bit, but I keep forgetting to ask."

Kara gave the Old Man a sour frown then glanced at Lee. "I'm still with the Fleet. I'm the Global Flight Coordinator."

"Oh, right. Actually, I think I _did_ know that. You coordinate all affairs with Romo and Major Case, right? " he asked nonchalantly, but she knew damn well he already had an idea. Lee was the one who recruited Showboat to join his staff as Military Advocate to the Colonies when he retired. Never mind the fact that Kara was training Showboat to be a flight instructor up until the day she traded her wings for a law book and a cushy job. _Nope, not bitter at all._

"Correct," said Kara tersely. Emily kicked her under the table and Kara glared in reply. Rolling her eyes, Emily smiled again, redirecting her attention to Lee.

"Did you meet Ana while aboard the _Galactica _or did you meet her here?" asked Emily, completely unaware of the can of worms she was opening.

"On board the _Galactica_. We got married a short time... after the fleet set up on New Caprica," said Lee as he looked only at Emily. "I've been wondering, actually, how it is that you and Kara met."

"My mom, actually. Kara had to stick around a few weeks after Bill and Laura had their pledging ceremony and my mom offered Kara a room to drop her bags for a while."

"I haven't met your mom yet," said Lee. "Is she out of town?"

The table got uncomfortably quiet and Kara rolled her eyes, inwardly congratulating Lee on his foot-in-mouth skills. Seeing Emily freeze up, Kara decided to intervene.

"Em's mom, Ruby, she…" Kara struggled a little, "she passed away about eight months ago. You uh, you'd have liked her a lot. Actually, I've never met anyone who didn't."

"Oh," he instantly grew solemn as he looked at Emily. "That must have been rough on you and Max. What… what was she like?"

Kara was surprised with his very open and caring demeanor. He was much more tactful than she remembered. Emily and Ruby had been very close. The best of friends. It took Emily a few moments before she could reply, her gaze fixed to her napkin as she pulled at the fibers on the corner.

"My mom…" she searched for words. "My mom was a force of nature. She loved to have parties. Parties because it was a beautiful Tuesday, or maybe because there was a cake sale and she thought there was no use in having a cake without something to celebrate," said Emily, trying hard to keep her voice neutral. "And her laugh. It was the kind that made you smile just by… just by hearing it."

Kara could see her starting to break and decided to step in.

"Ruby Walker was the type of woman who could talk you into giving up the clothes right off your back, then would sweet-talk her way into selling them back to you ten minutes later. Even better is that you'd feel good about doing it. She was," Kara looked over at Emily, watching as her nose got red and tears slid down her face. Offering a warm smile, Kara continued quietly, "she was very loved."

The table was silent for a few minutes and Kara swallowed the stubborn knot in her throat and busied herself by talking with Max.

"How long do you plan on sticking around, Lee?" asked Emily after she'd gotten the waterworks under control. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the wrong question, because he only looked down in his lap, and folded his napkin. Kara took that to be the nervous gesture that it was.

"Not sure," he said quietly, and finally Kara saw a crack in that exterior. Oddly enough, and something she'd purposefully brush aside later, she felt the need to take some heat off him.

"I was wondering," Kara asked as she looked at the Old Man, "when you and Laura are taking off for Africa? Mid—August?" As the Old Man began to respond, she felt Lee looking at her out of the corner of her eye, but she kept her gaze fixed elsewhere. Fortunately, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there.

**.::.::.::.::.**

Kara skipped out on ice cream and decided to go for a ride in The Beast, hoping to relieve some pent-up frustration. It was nearly eleven that night by the time Kara reached apartment 819. Letting herself in quietly, she dropped her bag on the couch and locked the door. Still craving dessert she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a spoon and a pint of ice cream from the freezer.

A few moments later, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist possessively as she took a bite. The corner of her lip quirked upwards as freshly showered hair rubbed against her cheek and moist lips traced a line down her neck to her shoulder.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to show up," he mumbled against her shoulder, "...was getting desperate."

Pressing against him, she rolled her eyes and her hips.

"I can tell."

"God, you drive me insane. Hurry up. I haven't seen you in almost a week."

She sighed and took another bite then returned the ice cream to the freezer. By the time they reached his room, both were stripped bare and ready to burst. Nearly an hour later as Kara got ready for round two, she clamped down hard on his shoulder as his hands moved languorously down her body, stroking and kissing in all the right places.

_Oh yes _she thought as she felt his finger swirl _just so_. Sex definitely did the trick.

**.::.::.::.::.**

A/N: Max is mine and though he will tell you otherwise, _Wild Thing_ comes from Where the Wild Thing's Are, by Maurice Sendak. No, I will not tell you who the man was in the last part. Yes, you will soon find out what Kara and Lee fought about.

Next up: pop-culture education, busted knees, and epic fail in the communication department.


	3. Gravity

**Title:**Almost Out of the Sky (3/?)  
**Pairing:** K/L... eventually  
**Rating: **M-ish for language  
**Disclaimer:** RDM owns the BSG cast. I own everything else. AOotS is a poem by Pablo Neruda.  
**Summary: **Earth 2012. _Kara heaved out a sigh and looked away petulantly. He loved that she couldn't go anywhere. This would be fun. _**AU after UBex**  
**Beta**: Thanks again to **workerbee73** you always bring the sparkle. Also to **mintenergy** for the pom-poms and support :)  
**A/N**: This fic is projected for about 15 chapters, so remember that when you wonder why L/K aren't sexing yet. Please enjoy, I suck at arguing. ALSO, no idea what went down with the Lee bash a few weeks back, This does not reflect any thoughts thrown around during that time. This fic is an ode to both Lee and Kara, because they both deserve their bright shiny future :shakes fist at RDM and his poofs and pigeons: Thanks for reading!  
**  
**

* * *

Something always brings me back to you.  
It never takes too long.

Set me free. Leave me be.  
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.  
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.  
But you're on to me and all over me.

* * *

**Gravity**

* * *

The week leading up to the pyramid match, Lee tried to speak with Kara several times but she evaded him at every opportunity. All he wanted was to grab a cup of coffee with her and catch up; not mount an inquisition.

The thing was, the more she avoided him the more curious he got. He knew she got up every morning around six to go run because that damned dog insisted on barking once it got outside, waking him up. Lee also spotted her a couple times with Max and Sherlock, both of whom appeared to be her shadows. Most everyone seemed to welcome Kara with a wave or a smile and he wondered how someone as mercurial managed to fit in here.

Lee figured the pyramid game would finally be his chance, but she hit the ground running after her _rousing_ one-on-one match with her fraking ex-husband. Nevermind the fact that Lee helped her win her precious game only minutes before, assisting her with the perfect pass for her to score the game-winning goal. Dinner that Sunday wasn't much better. It was equal parts awkward and civil. Lee started to wonder if it was time to throw in the towel.

It was much of the same at the beginning of the following week, and by Thursday, Lee started using Sherlock as his alarm clock every morning. Once or twice when Kara returned from her run, she'd wave to him where he sat up on the deck, reading the paper and drinking coffee. Otherwise, she pretty much kept to herself. It was all rather perplexing — and thoughts of Kara occupied more time than Lee cared to admit.

**.::.::.::.**

When Lee wasn't trying to stalk observe Kara, he was fastidiously soaking up everything he could about pop-culture. Under Danny's tutelage, Lee had proved to be as much a star pupil as he had been in his youth.

Chubby's Coffee Shop was fortunate enough to be the location for Lee's pop-education, something he'd missed out on while cramming American law and government into his brain. Chubby's had the best coffee for a hundred miles and Lee had taken a fancy to anything Chubby put in front of him for lunch. Lee would typically drop by around noon and read or listen to music until Danny got off work and they'd hang out for a bit. Thursday happened to be when Danny only worked half days, providing more time for Lee to listen intently to Danny's shiny new 12G iPhone.

Dramatic and in character, Danny used his coffee spoon as a mic and sang along to the music.

"Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world  
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere"

"Uhhh. Journey, _Don't Stop Believin'_!_" _Lee shouted. He was really starting to love this game.

"Nice. We have to finish this one out though; Journey got me through some rough years. Me and Steve Perry go way back."

Lee fixed him with a curious look and smiled as he saw Ryan trudge sleepily through the doors, waving at Chubby for a double shot espresso. Considered a _ladies man_ around town, Ryan was attractive and tall, probably around 6'2" and had a dark complexion that matched his dark brown hair. Though Lee wasn't good with placing last names, _Faria_ seemed to be Latin American, but Ryan didn't have an accent, so Lee wasn't sure.

"No. It's way too early for Journey, man," grumbled Ryan as he reached for the phone, which Danny deftly moved out of harm.

"You wouldn't be saying that if it was _Any Way you Want it_."

"Work in the E.R. last night?" asked Lee.

"Yeah. I just woke up," Ryan flicked his wrist and scanned his watch, "at four. I can assure you being a doctor isn't nearly as glamorous as it's made out to be… Anyway, I've got three days off and it's almost the weekend. Tell me we have plans of epic proportions before us."

"Moment, let me check," said Danny as he turned down the volume and checked his schedule. Chubby, who probably weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet with a face only a mother could love, brought Ryan his espresso and a large scone.

"You're a lifesaver Chubbs. I'll put a good word in for you with one of Danny's sisters," said Ryan as he took a large bite out of the scone while Chubby just rolled his eyes at Ryan. Danny had four older sisters and all of them were married.

"We've got our first Ultimate Frisbee game against Bay City, then you and I have to help Pete set up the fireworks display in the harbor for the Fourth of July celebration."

"Ugh the fourth is next Wednesday isn't it? I bet I have work too. I can see all the burn wounds and alcohol overdoses right before my eyes," frowned Ryan. "Lee, how are the fireworks out in D.C.? I bet that's a good show."

"It's pretty amazing. My wife and I have an apartment in Crystal City and our building hosts a party up on the roof every year. You can see the National Mall and the Capitol as well as all nearby cities hosting their own celebrations."

"One of these days we'll brave the crowds and head out there, right Dan?" asked Ryan. "Danny?"

Danny's attention was elsewhere, namely across the street near the yacht club.

"What are you looking at?" asked Lee as he leaned closer to Danny to get a better look outside.

"I am going to kill her. I am literally going to cut off her arms and beat her with them," said Ryan as he finally spotted what they were staring at.

Lee's jaw dropped at the sight of Kara, dressed in a brown leather motorcycle jacket with matching knee-high boots and impossibly tight jeans, climbing off the back of an expensive looking motorcycle. As she pulled off her helmet and secured it to the side of the bike, the driver, some helmeted Neanderthal who probably couldn't even spell motorcycle, was showing her a small ring-sized box. Lee wanted to gauge the other's reactions, but was far too entranced by the sight of Kara smiling and nodding at the idiot with a pretty bike. Finally, she pulled the strap of her messenger bag over her head and waved him off, turning toward the coffee shop.

Unbraiding her hair, Kara caught sight of the three of them gawking at her through the window. Her frown and heaving sigh underscored her irritation at being watched. With full attitude and dismay she sauntered over to the coffee shop, her golden hair tousled and wavering in the breeze. As she entered, she flashed a smile at Chubby who grinned bashfully in return.

"You promised!" said Ryan as he pointed at her. "You looked me in the face as I picked a street's worth of gravel out of your thigh and said, 'I swear I will never ride a motorcycle again.' What _the hell_ was that!?"

"What happened?" whispered Lee to Danny, who replied quietly, "Last year, Kara bought a crotch rocket and promptly crashed it a week later when she hit some gravel on a sharp turn. She had road rash all over the left side of her body and burned her leg on the exhaust pipe pretty badly too."

"I believe I said I would never _own_ or _drive _a motorcycle again," she replied calmly. "I never said I wouldn't _ride _one. I needed a ride home anyway, what's the problem?"

"I'd have picked you up," said Danny as he crossed his arms along with Ryan, both putting up a united front of consternation. Lee chose to focus on his cup, otherwise he'd just stare and that was impolite.

_Frak it, _he thought a few moments later. He'd be lying if said he'd never dreamt of Kara on a motorcycle. Any man who knew her would be lying if they hadn't had that dream. Kara, leather, and motorcycles just seemed like a perfect combination. Lee shook his head as he returned to the conversation.

"Who _was_ that guy anyway?" asked Danny suspiciously.

"A buddy from work. You should see the anniversary present he got for his wife. Gods, judging by the size of the rock on that ring, she better be careful next time she goes sailing or she'll sink straight to the bottom," said Kara as she pulled off her bag and unzipped her jacket.

Lee couldn't help but notice how Danny and Ryan seemed to deflate when she mentioned the wife. Either they were protective or jealous. Probably both.

"Just… _please_, please be careful next time you're on a bike. I refuse to patch you up if you crash again," said Ryan as Kara collapsed in the bright orange armchair beside Lee, propping the heel of her boot on the edge of the table. Lee was just glad she put aside her issues with him and stuck around long enough for a real conversation.

"Aw, c'mon Ryan, you know me, just 'livin' on a prayer'."

"Bon Jovi!" erupted Lee out of reflex. The mixed look of confusion and amusement on Kara's face made Lee sigh and shake his head.

"Forgive Lee, I'm giving him my patented pop culture crash course," said Danny as Chubby walked over to Kara, setting her coffee down with a beaming smile. Lee had to cough and look away to stop himself from laughing at the way Chubby fawned over Kara. The poor man was obviously head over heels for her. Poor guy never stood a chance.

"Thanks Chubbs, I just received a shipment for you on base, drop by so you can sign it out," said Kara as she took a sip then sighed in satisfaction.

"Sure will, thanks Kara," he walked back to the counter with his bird chest puffed out and lanky swagger on display.

"You have got to stop leading him on," berated Danny as Ryan started messing with Danny's phone, landing on another song.

"I'm not," said Kara defiantly as the first few notes of the song played. _"With or Without You_, U2," she said decidedly as she leaned back in her chair again.

"You're not allowed to play this game, remember?" said Ryan as he downed the last of his espresso. "You only get to play the movie version, since you can never manage to stay awake through one."

"It's not my fault I rock at this game," said Kara as she cast a glance at Lee. "I take it Danny started you out on the good stuff, right? Motown and Elvis, maybe some Johnny Cash?"

"He even threw in The Drifters, Ray Charles, and some Jerry Lee Lewis," Lee replied. "In case you didn't notice, today is _music of the 80s._"

As the minutes ticked by Lee had to keep focusing on Danny or Ryan, mainly because he would stare otherwise. Despite his best attempts, she caught him once or twice over the next half hour of _important edification_. She'd smirk impishly, making him feel one part awkward and one part painfully shy. How she reduced him to a bumbling teenager at times was beyond his comprehension.

Lee's performance suffered greatly during Kara's presence, but he didn't really mind. He was remembering what it was like just to hang out with Kara and found that he missed it.

"All right, fellas," Kara said as she finished the last of her coffee. "I'm due at the homestead for some quality time with Sir Maximus and Sherlock, his trusty steed. Have a great evening and I shall see you at Nameless Field on Saturday, nine am."

They muttered their responses, all three more attentive to the song starting. At least until she stood and zipped up her jacket, then they all managed to watch her walk away, dragging her bag behind her.

"Stop starring at my ass, perverts," she scolded assuredly as she was almost to the door, an extra shake to her strut. Lee grinned as Ryan hunched his shoulders and Danny chuckled.

"Oh, and it's Pat Benetar, _Love is a Battlefield_," she called out as she leaned through the door once again.

Chubby just sighed as he wiped the counter.

**.::.::.::.**

The score was 16-15 in their favor with one more point to victory. Unfamiliar with Ultimate Frisbee, Danny had placed Lee with the receivers, or cutters. There were three other cutters, Kara, Ryan, and Chief. The handlers, or the ones designated to throw, were comprised of Karl, Sam, and Danny.

"All you need to do is run long and catch the disc. We'll take care of the rest," Danny said so confidently with his wholesome smile that Lee couldn't doubt him. Unfortunately, the Bay City team not only had that freight train with a death warrant for Kara, but they'd also recruited two guys who must have been cheetahs in a former life.

Lined up on the end zone, Lee scanned the players of the opposing team lined up across the field on their own end zone, signaling the start of play. All the home receivers ran up the field in a horizontal stack, except for Kara who kept closer to the throwers, giving and going in quick sprints. She had the freight train defending her, but the linebacker of a woman seemed to be running out of steam. As Danny threw the frisbee to Chief, Kara cut away at an all out sprint to the end zone. Chief caught the frisbee and surveyed the receivers, spotting Lee.

Chief evaded his defender and launched the Frisbee in a way that was directed at Lee who sprinted towards it, but at the last second, it curved directly to Kara. Her eye on the Frisbee, Kara leapt high in the air and caught the disc, only to be sandwiched by the freight train and one of the former cheetahs. The momentum of all three players as they careened into one another forced them to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

As the Bay City players got off the flattened Kara, a chorus of cheers went up as it was revealed that she still held tightly to the disc. The cheers ended when she didn't pop up and take a bow for the feat. When a Bay City player nudged Kara with his foot and she didn't budge, instantly panic-stricken, Lee and the others sprinted to Kara's side.

Apparently Kara suffered a blow to the head during the collision, because she was out for the count. Lee scanned her prone form, noting her right leg at an awkward angle and pale face. It struck Lee how small she looked, crumpled on the ground. The names Kara Thrace and Starbuck only brought to mind a woman who was larger than life.

"Karl, can you grab my kit by the bench?" asked Ryan as he kneeled beside Kara's head, calling her name loudly as he held her c-spine. After Karl sprinted away, Lee saw Kara's hand twitch by her side.

Before he knew what happened, Kara had grabbed Ryan by the neck of his shirt, pulled him roughly to the ground and was hovering above him, her right arm pulled back tight in a clenched fist. Lee was completely surprised and Ryan looked petrified and confused, but Kara's wits seemed to return quickly. She dropped her fist and leaned down on one arm, breathing roughly.

"Fraking hell!" she yelled as she immediately clutched her knee, collapsing to the ground again.

"Kara what hurts? What's going on?" asked Ryan as he regained his initial position and continued to inspect her.

"My knee you—" she let out a string of expletives that made everyone's eyebrows rise. "What the hell happened?"

"You got run over," offered Lee as he knelt by her side, watching as she bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"Kara you need to roll onto your back again. I've got to stabilize your neck," instructed Ryan.

"Frak off, my neck is fine. And don't even think about taking me to the hospital."

"Kara —" Danny began, but stopped when Sam tapped him on the shoulder.

"She's not going to go, so don't bother. She'll be fine," said Sam knowingly.

"Kara, you need to go to the hospital and get checked out," scolded Ryan. "You just lost consciousness, possibly suffered a neck injury, and your knee is already starting to swell."

Lee watched as Kara balled her fists tightly, wondering if she was going to punch Ryan before leaving. Instead she ignored him and took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

"Ryan, give it up, she isn't going to go. I'll take her by Doc Cottle and he'll check her out, don't worry," placated Sam as he knelt close to Kara and ran his hand from her left shoulder down her arm, not so subtly over the tattoo which matched his own.

"Babe," said Sam lowly, in an uncomfortably familiar way, causing Lee's stomach to churn, making him frown. He was astounded at how quickly he could regress back to feelings from several years ago, even when they weren't linked to anything he currently felt.

"Don't call me that, you asshat," she huffed out, earning a broad smile from Sam.

"Yeah, she'll be good as new in a day or two," he said as he rubbed her arm again. Lee just clenched his jaw.

"Let us help you up and I'll take you to see Cottle, okay?" Sam asked quietly. She must have nodded because Lee, being closest, found himself hooking his arm under hers as Sam had her other arm, while Danny helped stabilize her from behind.

Because Lee was near to Kara in height, she put a majority of her weight on him as she limped off the field towards Sam's truck. Lee was burning to know why Sam of all people was the most qualified person to be taking Kara to see Cottle, but figured she'd break his nose with her elbow if he started asking questions. That was if she ever released her death grip on his shoulder.

Once loaded in the truck, she seemed to remember something and stuck her head out the window.

"Did we win?"

Lee couldn't help but laugh and roll his eyes.

"Yeah, Starbuck. We won."

She gave him a smile that was more of a grimace then leaned back in her seat, shooting him weak thumbs up. Lee just shook his head as they pulled away thinking that some things never changed.

**.::.::.::.**

Lee lay in the hammock beneath a large shade tree, discarded book settled on his chest. With no work to distract him, his thoughts kept wandering to his new friends and Kara. He planned to use her incapacitation to get a real conversation out of her. The possibilities were endless as to how it could go.

She was different from when he saw her last. He'd have been surprised if she hadn't changed; there'd been ample opportunity to do so. Kara had this intensity about her, this type of silent confidence that screamed much louder than any of her formerly flashy ways. Yes, she still had that _presence_, the kind that drew the eye of everyone upon entering a room, but it was more somehow. Like she could decide the fate of the evening by the quirk of her lips or the furrow of her brow.

Most notable was the air of restlessness that seemed to permeate her every action. It was almost as if she were always ready for some unknown danger, on guard, but still at ease. She was an enigma, to say the least.

Sighing loudly, Lee climbed out of the hammock and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked across the yard and over the bridge between both properties. He just wanted to talk. Just wanted to reconnect. That's all.

The Walker house was much larger than Lee initially thought. Leaning his head back to estimate the height of the tallest part of the house, he figured there had to be at least four stories to be explored. He climbed the steps and walked to what Laura told him was the back door, or 'neighbor's door', which was rarely locked.

"Kara?" he called out as he took a step inside, finding himself in a mudroom. Hearing no reply, he walked in a bit further and was in a sunroom of sorts, large glass windows with several varieties of flowers and herbs all around in clay potters and baskets. It smelled heavenly. Movement caught his eye and Lee spotted a plump Siamese feline stretched out on a strip of sunlight by another glass door, tail thwapping idly.

The next room was the kitchen and he was glad to have reached the main part of the house. It was very large and homey. Lee suddenly had the urge to grab a cup of coffee and sit at the kitchen table, complete with mismatched chairs and a quilted table-runner. From what he knew of Ruby, it seemed to fit her personality well.

"Kara?"

"Lee?"

"Where are you?"

"Living room. Just wait for Sherlock."

Soon enough, her gangly dog came around the corner, head cocked to the side as he surveyed Lee. He barked once expectantly and turned around. Lee did as he was told and followed Sherlock down a long hall decorated with various photographs in black and white. Sherlock turned quickly through an open set of French doors into the living room.

There was a large brown suede sectional upon which Kara lay; her long legs propped so as to afford the elevation she needed for her dislocated knee. She glanced at him as he strode in then turned her attention back to braiding various chunks of hair. As he took a seat his gaze faltered on her hot pink toenails sticking out from under the blanket.

"Wow, your uh —" he stopped at the withering look she shot him.

"Don't even say a word. My_ loving_ roommate thought it would be nice to leave me with a surprise when my pain meds wore off. Of course, she made damn sure she was out of striking distance when I woke up."

"Well, they look… nice?"

"Nice like, sets off my skin well; or nice like your hair?"

Lee immediately patted down his hair. It was a little wild from being outside in the breeze. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"I don't know. I guess I liked it better short."

"You… liked it better short?" Lee grinned. Kara heaved out a sigh and looked away petulantly. He loved that she couldn't go anywhere. This would be fun.

"Don't start. What are you doing here?"

"I'm dropping by to make sure you're okay."

"No. What are you doing _here?"_ The seriousness of her tone conveyed the gravity of the question. She sure didn't beat around the bush.

Lee bent his head, figuring he'd have to trade this bit of information in order to get her to open up. Kara always was an _eye for an eye_ kind of girl.

"Truth?" he wasn't asking if that was what she wanted from him, he wanted a guarantee that he'd get the truth from her. Her narrowed eyes and pursed lips made him wonder if she wasn't expecting to meet her confessor today.

"How 'bout I give you the highlights," he amended, "so neither one of us has to get into gritty details we'd rather keep buried."

"Sounds good," she conceded.

He stalled for a bit, trying to figure out where to start.

"You… were right," he said finally, like a weight was being lifted. Her blank look tinged with confusion begged for elaboration.

"You said I'd hate it, that once everything died down, I'd finally see how everything worked and it'd make me bitter. Well, it happened, just like you said. Except I did get to see Ana when she started school in the city. So at least we got to be miserable together. Except…" Lee stopped, trying to collect himself. This part hurt to admit.

"I need you to understand the whole situation, okay?" he looked over at her and though she seemed closed off, she didn't seem to be judging him. She frowned slightly at his request, but nodded and he continued.

"It was just me and her against the world out there. We had Romo, Natalie, and a few others, but it was just like New Caprica all over again. Except this time, I didn't have my dad and the Americans treated us pretty badly. Ana and I got really close, which was great."

Lee's mind recalled several memories that defined their relationship — one begun under unusual circumstance that withstood time and many challenges.

His smile faltered when he looked up to find Kara looking at him with indescribable curiosity and a little sorrow, almost as if she could see the memories written on his face. He swallowed quickly and looked down at his feet.

"What happened?"

"I don't know… Life? I started working more, coming home less, and we started arguing about stupid things all the time. I mean… _really_ stupid things. One day I woke up and realized that if I wanted to save my marriage, I'd have to choose between her and my job. After a lot of thinking, I chose Ana. I told Romo I'd be making a public announcement the next week, that I would stepping down and that elections would need to be held. "

Lee paused for a second, remembering how _relieved_ he'd felt.

"When I came home that night I felt… I felt so light. Then Ana told me she got the offer to clerk in New York, one that would definitely advance her career when she got out of school, but it would also keep her in that area. She was so happy, so proud and I couldn't tell her that the world she'd made for herself was one where I didn't belong."

"So you stayed," guessed Kara, connecting the dots. "You finished out the season and you're here for the summer while Romo holds down the fort and Dee gets the chance of a lifetime. In a few weeks, you're just going to head right back out there and do it all over again."

He didn't answer, but she'd summed it up well enough. He watched as the frustration drove across her face, her expression solidifying her disappointment. Lee found it funny that she seemed to care so much when she'd been doing her best to act otherwise. He figured it was the painkillers.

"Why? I don't get it. Why would you go through all that again? Why are you willing to sit through three more years of manipulative assholes holding pointless meetings?"

She seemed to not understand the one concept that he'd been dancing around. Clenching his jaw, he finally pushed out the one piece of information that would tamper down that curiosity.

"Because… I still love her. I owe it to her."

It worked, better than he thought. It was true though. He may not have loved Ana when they first married, but he certainly did now. They'd been through too much together for him to feel otherwise. The problem was now they wanted different things from life, and with each passing day, their incompatibility became increasingly apparent. The rift forming between them grew larger by leaps and bounds.

When Kara didn't respond, he looked over and saw that she'd fallen asleep. He sighed and leaned back on the couch and continued talking about nothing in particular, knowing that she'd wake up when she was good and ready.

**.::.::.::.**

"… And that day, the uh the last day we spoke, I want to apologize for the way I acted. It was wrong of me to assume the things I did, to assume that your intentions weren't… I don't know, honorable?"

He heard Kara chuckle and he realized she'd probably never been called honorable before.

"Figures you'd wake up now."

"Figures you'd wait 'til I fell asleep to get to the good part."

"What? Me apologizing?"

"Hell yeah," she said as she sat up slowly, lifting her leg off the couch and placing it gingerly on the coffee table. "Only happens once in a blue moon. I'd much rather be awake for this momentous occasion."

"Like you have nothing to apologize for," he said as he tossed a pillow at her playfully.

"Maybe you remember that day a little differently than I do," she said as she launched it back at him roughly. She leaned back against the plush pillows and crossed her arms, obviously recalling the events of three years prior.

"I remember it just fine, thanks" he replied, wary of the unpleasant memories assailing him.

.::.

"So this is how the royalty lives," cracked Kara as his outside door swung back and slammed against the hard plastic wall. The sun hung low in the sky, backlighting her in a way that made her outline glow.

"Starbuck," Lee stared at her blankly. "What can I do for you?" His voice held tight and neutral.

In a day in which nothing was going right, Lee had thirty minutes to compile a Fleet-wide security report for the DoD and Homeland Security. All he had to work with was a six-month old report and no time to deal with the spitfire gracing his presence.

"Oh, I dunno," she said casually as she strode over and slouched down in the chair opposite his desk. "The pilots have been stuck up in orbit the past three months, protecting the fleet against the other Basestar the rebel Cylons failed to demolish. I just got processed and cleared an hour ago. I wanted to see how you were doing."

Lee frowned as she propped her boots on the corner of his desk. He sat back, crossing his arms.

"Fine, Starbuck," he replied curtly. "No thanks to you."

"…the frak is that supposed to mean?"

He leveled her with a stern look and she sat up, immediately on the offensive.

"_Seriously_?" she leaned forward, hands on her knees and brow furrowed.

"What?" he asked dismissively.

"What's your deal, Lee? I haven't seen you for three months and you're giving me the cold shoulder."

"_Exactly_. We haven't seen each other for three months!" His volume increased at the end of his statement. The mere sight of her made his heart beat furiously, anger barely restrained.

"Well, there were things —"

"Cut the crap Kara. I took a godsdammed bullet for you, don't waste my time."

"I know! Just like I know they had to resuscitate you twice. My gods Lee, don't … just because I couldn't visit you doesn't mean I stopped caring."

Lee stood and walked to the lone window and peered out, unable to look at her. He needed answers so he could move on with his life. He needed to move on.

"... Did you mean it, Kara? Any of it?" His tone was more desperate than he wished.

"When?" she asked seriously. "On the Basestar? Every word."

"Yeah? Well so did I."

"Great, then what's the problem?" She leaned back with a shrug as if that would solve everything.

Lee shook his head incredulously, amazed at her audacity.

"You know, I was laid up for two weeks and didn't know whether you were alive or dead. No one would tell me anything. I assumed the worst and I started to let you go, because the thought... the thought of you being dead was literally killing me."

He turned from the window and faced her, his expression tense and unforgiving.

"Then I overheard the medics gossiping about how you were alive and you'd found a way to get us to Earth. Even after I was transferred to _Colonial One_, you didn't show."

"Like I said, there were other things beyond my control going on," irritation coated her words. "Gods Lee, when I first got back they threw me in hack for two weeks and forgot about me while everything imploded."

Kara stood and leaned against his desk. "In case you forgot, the President's cancer returned and Zarek tried to stage a coup somewhere in there. After I got out, I was restricted to the _Galactica_ and CAP only."

"That has nothing to do with us!" he shot back vehemently as he gestured between them. "I've seen you do the impossible Kara, time and again. I figured come hell or high water, you'd figure out a way…"

He paused for a second, shaking his head. He was ready to call her bluff.

"Just… admit the truth — you weren't expecting to survive the attack on Cavil's Basestar. So you made an empty promise to me that you're burning for now because you can't follow through."

"I'm here now aren't I?" she returned defiantly, pushing off from the desk.

"You're here now, but what about tomorrow and the day after?" his question resonated between them.

"I've had it Kara," his voice firm and clipped. "You're skittish and unreliable when it really counts. I gave you a second chance and you blew it."

"When did you even give me a _first __chance_!? New Caprica? _Frak_, Lee. We had a drunken one night stand in the desert!" Her exasperation evident, underlying every tense hand gesture.

"You don't think I meant it? What I said then?" He took a step toward her, daring her to deny it.

"It was kind of hard to take at face value when you waited for Sam and Dee to conveniently disappear to make your move. What the hell was I supposed to think?"

"That I meant it! It definitely wasn't so you'd run off and marry Anders out of fear." There were spots behind his eyes every time he blinked. He hadn't been this angry in months.

"You married Dee out of spite!" she replied bitterly.

"Well I guess it worked out for me because we've all seen what happens to the men you've _loved_."

Lee clamped down hard as soon as he said the words. Words he couldn't take back. Words he wished he'd never even thought.

Kara pursed her lips, her brow creased. She took a second, letting the conversation catch up.

"If that was my _first _chance," Kara replied, low and dangerous, "was you _waiting__ for me_ when I wasn't even free to do anything my second? And what did I get a chance at again? Your... friendship? Love? I seemed to have missed this conversation."

"No, letting you back _into my life_ was your second chance."

"Really? Thanks for letting me know."

"It doesn't matter anymore Kara. Thanks to you, we all get to start over, and I decided to cut out everything that was causing me more grief than it was worth."

"And I fall into that category? I'm not _worth it_ to you?" her narrowed eyes told him to be wary of flying fists.

"No. It's more like... my body, my heart can't take what you do to me anymore. I can't even look at you without remembering how many ways you've fraked up my life," he said resentfully. "With Dee, it's easy. She supports me and we're good for each other."

"That's what you want? You want easy? You just took the most powerful position in the entire Fleet for frak's sake! Don't tell me this is about making your life simple," she replied skeptically.

"It was either me or Zarek, and I'd much rather take the hit than allow him to represent us. I was elected to this position based on my merit and my abilities… my promises," he pounded the desk with a closed fist in irritation.

Kara took a step from him, shaking her bowed head.

"What? You think it's wrong of me?" asked Lee. "You don't think I'll do a good enough job?"

She looked up at him sharply, her brow furrowed. "You know better than that."

"I'm not so sure. Especially where you're concerned," he said bitterly as he took another step back, needing the space.

"You're going to hate it," she said sadly, softly. His head snapped up at her words, surprised by her comment.

"You're going to hate it, but since you've got some skewed sense that you owe us all something, you're going to do it anyway," she frowned as she held his gaze, stepping closer to him between the filing cabinet and his desk.

"I've listened to the wires, seen the reports. These people have a dysfunctional government very much like our own. Your ideals, Adama? They won't get you anywhere. They'll just leave you cynical and bitter, hating your job and your life."

He was already shaking his head in disbelief by the time she finished her case.

"You already_ are_ cynical and bitter, Kara," he replied, stating the obvious. "Too bad we can't all be as great as the mighty Starbuck who defies authority at every turn, thumbs her nose at responsibility, and does whatever she wants — to hell with the consequences."

"Frak you, Lee. I'm not that person anymore and you know it," she paused then looked outside, taking a breath.

"Everyone is getting ready to scatter in the wind and you won't even bother with saying goodbye. It's a big world out there and at the rate you're going, you'll push everyone away to where they won't even feel bad about leaving you behind."

"You'd know best, wouldn't you?" he replied cruelly.

Apparently he hit a nerve because she pushed him hard against the chest into the file cabinet and turned around toward the door, ready to leave. For some odd reason he reached out and latched onto her arm then spun her to face him, their breaths ragged as they stared at each other.

"What happened to you?" she whispered so quietly that he wasn't sure who replaced the loud, growling Kara with this one.

"_Everything_," he gasped out. It was the truth. He'd gone from pseudo-lawyer to dead (twice) to hero to delegate responsible for the entire fleet in the span of three months. The thought alone was staggering.

Kara's new phone vibrated at her side, but she ignored it, her gaze fixed on his collar. When her brows pinched together he suddenly had a stab of conscience, because she rarely acted like his words mattered and when they did, it usually involved a punch in response.

"Lee, I..." her hand shook as she swept her hair back, the scent of standard-issue American shampoo in the air. "Something happened, something that I —"

"You're alive, I'm alive. That's all that matters," he said quickly, wanting to be done with all this baggage once and for all. "So whatever did or did not happen, it doesn't much affect what's going on right now. Right here, right now? That's what I care about."

He caught the haunted look in her eyes, but brushed it aside when his other door opened with a light knock.

"Sir, here are the forms you requested," it was Sonja, walking in with her head bent over the triplicate documents. He stepped away from Kara and held out his hand, offering a fake smile when she finally looked up. "Oh sorry, am I interrupting?"

"No." "Yes." He frowned at Kara who was scowling at Sonja. Wisely, Sonja returned to her desk outside Lee's office, not without giving him a concerned look before she shut the door.

"Listen I've got a meeting..." he returned to full politician mode, acutely aware of his lack of readiness.

"So that's it then? You're going to give up… just like that?" she sounded defeated and shocked as she walked over and stood before him, fists on her waist.

"Kara… think of it as an act of self-preservation," he replied sensibly. "Whatever was or wasn't between us, it never took off for several reasons. But the fact remains that we never managed to be on the same page at the same time. I'm doing us both —"

She grabbed him roughly by the tie, pulling him towards her. He felt her callused hands cup his face, and her chapped lips, warm and firm against his own stiff resolve. Even when he felt her moving against him, almost teasing him for a response, he remained immobile. Right when he thought she'd pull away, she grew more determined and bit his bottom lip, shocking him into action as he grabbed her wrists and pushed her against the wall beside the door.

_So much for self-preservation._

He felt her smile against his lips as he deepened the kiss, her fists still pinned to the wall. Lee pressed firmly against her, his whole body on fire while the world faded away. But as the seconds ticked on, stark, cruel reality crept inside his head, appealing to his conservative side. When it became too much, Lee pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss for a staggering beat.

"If something happens, if I..." she paused as their foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling as he waited for her eyes to open. "Ask me to stay," she whispered abruptly as her eyes opened to reveal utter vulnerability and suddenly everything got still.

The way she said it, almost sounded like there was another meaning to her request. What did she mean? Stay with him? Stay here? Not go with his dad and the others? He swallowed hard. No. He trusted her with his life, he trusted her with so, so much. But he refused to trust her with his heart. Not again. His heart squeezed tightly in reply, clenched in a cold fist.

"I mean, if the Gods —"

"Kara, —" he started, cutting her off as he pulled away. "I _can't_… I can't do that," he floundered for the right words. Lee would remain firm. Lips set in a thin line; he looked her in the eyes. "I can't do that, not now. Not ever. I'm with Dee, that's the way it's going to be. We're… we're happy together. I… I can't…"

He watched as hurt flitted across her face before she shut down completely.

"Kara..."

She pushed him farther away and stepped around him, facing the other direction. Lee caught sight of that damned tattoo with a new two-inch streak of perfect skin marring the tattooed wing. He heard she'd been trimmed during the battle and absently wondered why there wasn't a scar, just white skin. Then he realized he was staring at the one image that represented how badly she'd hurt him.

He was making the right choice. He had to be.

"Do you mean that, without any doubt?" she asked forcefully, her voice unwavering.

"Yes," he was resolute, brooking no room for doubt.

She could have no reason to hope that he would leave Dee just because she asked him to. He was Lee Adama. He did not quit.

He willfully ignored this solitary occasion.

"Kara, I —"

She held up her hand as she backed away, her phone buzzing at her side again. Frowning as she looked at the screen, she silenced it and placed it back on her belt clip. She seemed to be making a spur of the moment decision right in front of him. Just like nothing had happened, she looked up at him briefly and started backing towards the exit.

"I've got a plane to catch," she stated unexpectedly, as though she hadn't just asked him a life-altering question moments before.

Lee remained motionless as she walked to the door and grabbed the handle. When she turned back she had a look of defiance in her eyes as she gave him one last look.

"Good luck with your… _easy_ life. I'll see you around, Senator."

Then she was gone.

"Bye Kara," he whispered as he picked up the file and headed down the hall to his meeting, wondering if he had just made the worst mistake of his life. In the end, all he managed to carry with him was the resentment he felt when she asked him to leave his wife.

Except… she never really did.

**.::.::.::.**

Breaking his painful reverie, Lee jerked back to the present when he heard an odd noise and saw a pale and somewhat sweaty Kara trying to stand with her crutches. It didn't appear to be going well either.

"Want some help?" he offered, feeling so different from the man he was three years ago.

"Nope. Doin' just fine, thanks," she bit out, sounding cranky. Lee figured he had about five minutes before she kicked him out.

"So, I'm going to be here for a few more weeks, at least. I was just wondering… could we catch up sometime? Maybe get some coffee?"

She froze suddenly and he was struck by how well she could balance on one foot. The dubious look she shot him didn't instill much hope. Maybe he should state his case and secure a victory.

"Kara, I haven't seen my dad in over two years. I haven't seen you for even longer. I swear I'm not here to turn your life upside down or anything. I just want to see if we can try to be friends and have a relaxing time while I'm still here. Everyone has been great, and I've finally had a chance to reconnect with the Old Man. Just… give me a few weeks and I'll be gone."

He wasn't sure what sealed the deal, him requesting her friendship or the fact that he'd be gone in a few weeks.

"_Fine_," she huffed out with a sigh. "The only reason I'm doing this is because I'm still higher than a kite. Drop by tomorrow morning and we can talk Max into making us breakfast."

"You'll tell me what you've been up to?" he asked hopefully.

She seemed to roll her eyes, but nodded slowly with a reassuring smile. "Yes, Lee. I'll tell you what I've been up to."

"Great. I'll see you then," he smiled at her as he stood and left.

He didn't hear the thump of her crutches across the floor or the resounding _frak_ as she slumped back on the couch in irritation. No, all Lee heard were birds chirping and the water rushing against the rocks as he treaded through the grass. He tried to disregard how much brighter his world seemed now that Kara Thrace was back in it.

Of course, he failed to consider that she'd never left.

**.::.::.::.**

Next up: 4th of July! Fireworks, a shocking revelation, and how Sherlock got his name.


	4. Untitled

**Title: **Almost Out of the Sky (4/12)  
**Pairing:** K/L eventually  
**Rating**: M-ish for language  
**Disclaimer:** RDM owns BSG characters. Title from Pablo Neruda poem.  
**Summary:** Earth 2012. Coffee and the Fourth of July. 'Nuff said.  
**Beta:** A big sparkly thank you to the lovely **workerbee73**  
**A/N: **Enjoy and thanks for reading!

* * *

Untitled

* * *

"Okay, moment of truth. Let's see if the old knee holds up, shall we?" Kara edged to the side of her bed and put all of her weight on her good leg, her left one. Rising slowly, she straightened her right leg and eased her weight down. Sherlock, dutiful observer that he was, waited patiently for Kara to topple over.

"Don't you dare laugh at me," she commanded Sherlock who was doing nothing of the sort. After putting on her knee brace, Kara leaned over and grabbed her crutch this time and started again. This part wasn't bad. She could handle the crutch. It was the transition to no crutch that was so nerve-wracking because her knee would occasionally give way at the most inopportune times.

"Guess it's not time yet. Maybe I should try after breakfast?"

In apparent agreement, Sherlock headed toward the stairs and waited for Kara to hobble over. Ever so carefully, Kara trailed her watchful dog as she made her way down every flight of stairs. By the time she reached the bottom, she was sweaty and in desperate need of coffee.

"Good morning!" said Emily far too brightly from her seat at the table. She was dressed in her running clothes, same as Lee who was giving Kara a nervous smile.

_Frak._ She hadn't been hallucinating when she'd told him to come over this morning. Kara fought the urge to climb back up the stairs. All. Four. Flights. Instead, she huffed audibly and sucked it up. It was time to accept that Lee wasn't going to relent until she gave him a chance.

_Not that he deserved one,_ she thought with a scowl.

"Ugggnnnnhh," grunted Kara as she hobbled to the counter, grabbing a large mug from the shelf above the coffee pot. She was unshowered, her hair was a tangled mess, and she was doing her best not to reach for the pain-meds. Glancing at Lee and Emily out of the corner of her eye, she found them both surveying her warily.

"What?" she barked. "Like you're all sunshine and daisies until you've had your coffee, Em."

Emily glowered at Kara as she rose from the table and retrieved Kara's full mug then set it on kitchen table for her. "Figure out what you two want for breakfast while I go wake up Max and grab a shower. I don't have to go in until eleven today."

Kara followed behind Emily and clipped her in the thigh with the bottom of her crutch.

"That's for my _pedicure._"

"Watch it Kara, don't forget what happened last time," Emily warned as she went down the hall and climbed a different set of stairs.

"Last time?" asked Lee.

"She died my hair blue after giving it a trim because I accidentally bumped into her and she fell into Karl's pool. It's not my fault she was dressed in white."

"Is that so?" said Lee as he took a sip of his coffee. "Maturity at its finest. You're pretty mobile, so… soon after dislocating your knee."

"I guess I didn't hurt it as bad as everyone thought I did."

"Danny said it'd take about six weeks to heal," said Lee as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes glided up her leg, sizing up the bulky knee brace.

"Well, whatever happened to it, I should be good to go in a couple days," said Kara dismissively. "So… I don't remember much from yesterday afternoon other than you giving me a sorry-ass apology. And now you're here in my kitchen, so there must be a good reason for a pre-coffee visit."

"You don't remember… _anything_?" Lee sounded slightly alarmed and Kara grinned. He quickly narrowed his eyes at her, looking peeved.

"Fine, fine. I remember. I was hoping you'd forget," said Kara, attempting to waylay his interrogation. "Still, I don't understand why you even care what I've been up to. As I recall, you wanted to stay away from anything that caused you _too much grief _."

Kara had made her peace with the past, she really had. Still, it was much easier to believe what she told herself repeatedly when _the past_ wasn't sitting right in front of her, shooting her peace all to hell. Regardless, she wasn't going to make this easy for him.

Giving him a hard look, Kara noted that despite his current frown he looked much more relaxed than he had the first night she saw him. Still, faint creases in his forehead coupled with worry lines around his eyes, revealing more about the past three years than he could ever verbalize.

"Fine," she sighed loudly. "You've got until Max gets down here, so choose your questions wisely."

"Where'd Sherlock come from?" he asked quickly. The corner of her lip curved upward at his rapid-fire approach. Of course he'd have questions stored up. That was so Lee. He'd probably even made a list.

"Well, when two doggies love each other very much…"

"Kara…"

"The name or the dog?"

"Both."

"A petty officer who worked for me transferred into housing that didn't allow dogs and nothing else was available."

"So you just brought home a puppy? Just like that?" asked Lee, brows raised.

"Of course. Who could say no to that?" she pointed to Sherlock who was sprawled out on his side, chasing something in his sleep. "He was two-months old the first time I saw him — all paws and ears. Fortunately, he grew into both."

"Emily let you keep him?"

"It was actually Ruby. I was lucky because she'd take in a stray Giraffe if she could find a place to fit it."

She smiled at Lee who chuckled. "Then where'd the name come from?"

"I'd had Sherlock for about a week and he wouldn't answer to a thing we called him. I took him for a walk and about halfway I plopped down in the grass to give him a break. I had a book with me and set it down for maybe… ten seconds and looked over to see him pissing all over it," said Kara as she looked at her silver dog, remembering him squatting over her used book.

"When I asked if he hated 'Sherlock Homes' he wagged his tail and got antsy. He either liked the name or had gas, so I tried it again and got the same reaction."

"So he got his name from a book?" asked Lee. "I guess that works. _Sherlock Homes._ That's mystery, right?"

"Yup," said Kara as she drained the last of her mug. "I guess you didn't have much opportunity for light reading?

"No, not so much," Lee replied wistfully. "Though I did learn how to play tennis and golf. We tend to talk a lot of shop during those activities."

"I have no idea how to play either, so you've got me there."

"Maybe I'll show you sometime. They're both pretty enjoyable." Lee said as he scratched the side of his face. "Okay, next question. What did you end up doing?"

"You mean after I left your office that day?" _Zing_. She watched Lee clench his jaw as he nodded slowly.

"Me and a few others were recruited for some… _light_ training to handle security issues for when our technology falls into the wrong hands. It was pretty… intense for a while," Kara paused for a second, remembering the complete and utter mindfrak her first seven months on Earth had been. Light training her ass. They were full of pain and misery, two things at which she excelled.

"… but then training wrapped up and I was offered three different positions," with three fingers raised, she ticked off each location. "One here, one in Germany and one… in D.C., actually."

"This was the billet for Flight Coordinator?"

Kara pursed her lips. His deflection skills were much improved. This chat would be much more exciting if he'd just take the bait.

"Sort of. My position evolved into that. Other than myself, Cottle and Aaron Kelly are the only remaining senior officers still in the fleet. Karl stayed in too, he's a Major."

"You're a Lieutenant Colonel?" asked Lee, surprise evident.

"Since about two months ago. I was promoted to Major right after we found Earth and was fast-tracked to senior staff for multiple reasons… it gave us a little more credibility with other military branches. With Admiral Tigh up on Galactica maintaining a skeleton crew, they needed someone to step up down here."

Lee nodded and seemed to file all the information away in his brain, most likely to go over later. Same old Lee. As long as the questions stayed light and easy, they'd be fine.

"Emily mentioned that you travel a lot."

"Yeah, I spend a lot of time in the hot zones — the Mideast, Russia, China. But I also coordinate a lot with the EU since we're all trying to maintain a Joint Forces Command."

Lee nodded as he cocked his head to the side. "What country do you enjoy the most?"

"Work or pleasure?"

Lee grinned, "pleasure."

Kara paused for a second, mentally reviewing the countries she favored. It was tough.

"Gods, there's so many. I've gone on a few trips with both Danny and Karl. We've gone rafting and hiking in Peru and Chile. Both were beautiful and just… overall great experiences. We're planning a trip next spring to Mount Kilimanjaro. I also went on a few trips with Ruby."

"Just travel or were those also adventures?"

"No, Ruby took up photography when she retired from working at the university. She had friends all over the place. Whenever the mood struck, she'd pick up the phone, give a buddy a call and hop on a plane. Every once in a while, I'd get to tag along."

"Taking pictures?"

"Yeah. She found me messing around with one of her old cameras not long after I got here. I was terrible, but Ruby said I had a good eye. Whatever the frak that means," Kara said flippantly.

Kara rolled her eyes, thinking about her first months with a camera. She glanced up quickly at Lee and found him smiling at her, causing an unbidden rush of warmth through her body. Blinking hard and looking away, she continued.

"Eventually I got better and she started taking me on some of her trips. Some of my favorites were New Zealand and… well, and Russia."

"Russia? Really?"

"Yeah, it's… hard to explain," Kara hedged. "We had a really good time once when went to visit an old friend of Ruby's. It was insanity from start to finish."

Kara smiled, remembering Ruby's amazement at Kara's ease with picking up Russian, especially the swear words. More importantly, she got to visit Samara, the city where her father grew up.

"After our last trip," said Kara, more somber as she picked at the corner of the placemat. "Ruby got this uh, this weird blood clot from sitting still too long… It ended up killing her."

"That's how she died? A blood clot?"

"It was — it was pretty sudden. Caught everyone off guard. Em was devastated."

"She seems to be handling it well, though," offered Lee as he straightened a little in his chair.

"Some days are better than others," Kara replied quickly. She didn't want to tip him off to how much Ruby's death affected her personally.

"What's your job like then?" Lee asked, effortlessly switching topics. "Danny and Ryan said you're gone a lot."

"Chatty aren't they?" Kara quipped. "I'm typically gone from Monday 'til Wednesday night or Thursday morning, according to my schedule."

Kara leaned back and propped her leg in the chair where Emily had been sitting, sighing as she did so.

"I basically go around, recruiting top guns from different countries to participate in the International Aerospace Program. I evaluate them on our sims and out on the aircraft carriers to see if they can hack it."

"Will you put them through Advanced Flight?"

"Yeah, just like what we went through. Twelve weeks."

"What about sims? Did you get Chief to help you?" Lee asked as he leaned forward on the table.

Kara nodded, leaning forward as well.

"We engineered five different sims and sent them out," Kara glanced up at him and continued, anticipating his next question. "For instruction purposes, I took the two remaining texts we had, cut out what was defunct, added a few maneuvers and some helpful stuff and slapped together a new manual."

"What about instructors? You can't do it all. I could talk to Marcia, see if she'll agree to transferring Racetrack —"

Kara fought to hide her grin, "Kat, Hot Dog, and Racetrack are all on board with being instructors. Kat helped me prep the Viper course; Karl and Sharon are in charge of raptors."

"You, Kat, Hot Dog on vipers, Karl, Sharon, Racetrack on raptors? Sounds like a good crew."

"Actually, Karl and Sharon will alternate duties, especially when —" Kara cut herself off. No one knew Sharon was pregnant yet. "I mean… they'll alternate so one can stay at home with Hera."

"And how many pilots have we got?"

Kara raised an eyebrow at Lee's use of 'we' but didn't call him on it. He caught himself anyway, and looked away while she continued.

"So far we've registered 113 pilots, both helicopter and fighter-jet, and a few astronauts. We'll be heading up to Galactica around the time school starts back in the fall."

"Sounds good, Kara. I know how far this will go in getting the trust of the naysayers out there."

Kara ducked her head, not wanting him to see how much his opinion mattered to her.

"You seemed to have settled in pretty nicely here," said Lee as he settled back against his chair. "How uh… how long did that take?"

_Odd question_, Kara thought. Eyes narrowed, she looked him in the eyes and detected more than a hint of jealousy. Maybe this wasn't about her at all.

"After I met Danny? Not long at all, I mean look how well you're doing, and you've only been here a few weeks," she said as Lee nodded slowly in agreement.

"Yeah well…"

"What? Are you doubting your status as a brand spanking new resident of Ithaca Bay?"

"No, I mean, I don't even live here. I'm just —"

"Just visiting, right. I bet you want to be a townie, just like the rest of us. Give me a week, I'll see if we can make you feel right at home."

Lee looked at her uncertainly as he crossed his arms. Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw Sherlock raise his head and seconds later, the loud trampling of a cranky six-year old could be heard, and thus ending the Q & A. Kara sighed quietly in relief. Lee's dogged interest made her uncomfortably tense.

"Just a heads up, but Max doesn't like waking up early," said Kara as she turned to see him enter, looking much like she imagined herself. Max walked up and leaned against her shoulder, yawning widely.

"What's wrong Wild Thing? Did your mom wake you up?"

"Worse. She let Muffin in my room and let her do it," he said with a frown. Kara looked over to Lee and mouthed 'cat' to him as he nodded. "Did Muffin lick your face again?"

"Yeah, and she sat on my belly and kept sniffing at me and started biting at my fingers."

"How dare she!" said Kara in mock indignation. Lee bit his lip while Kara tried to smooth down Max's rebellious hair, her efforts proving to be futile. "Your mom told us to figure out what we wanted for breakfast, but I have no idea what I want. What about you two?"

Kara watched in amusement as both Max and Lee looked upward and tapped their chins, their actions mirroring each other perfectly.

"Waffles," they both said and grinned at the other's response. Kara just rolled her eyes as Emily entered the kitchen, freshly showered.

"Took you long enough," said Kara as Max left to get some orange juice out of the fridge.

"It was muddy, lots of scrubbing involved," snapped Emily. "Maybe you should do us all a favor and take one yourself."

Kara shot her a dirty look as Lee shrugged. She knew all about his views on hygiene.

"Maybe I will," she retorted as she started to rise carefully. "By the way, we decided on waffles. But I'd like chocolate chip, please."

"Me too!" said Max.

"Me too, what?" asked Emily as she looked to Lee who nodded in agreement.

"Me too, please," said Max. "Starbuck be careful in the shower, it get's slippery."

"Don't worry Wild Thing. I'll be fine," Kara said as she hobbled over to the stairs. She didn't realize until she got there that she'd left her crutch behind.

Yeah, she'd be good as new by the end of the week.

When she returned a short while later, she found Lee kneeling beside Max as they watched steam rise from the waffle-maker. Emily was sitting at the table, holding a touch-sensitive screen as she read all the e-news. All in-print newspapers had made the reluctant transfer to electronic circulation.

"Anything exciting?"

"Just a hostage situation in Pakistan again. The US only claims that 'help is on the way'," said Emily. She glanced over at Kara and said quietly, "I guess it's a good thing you dislocated your knee."

"No idea what you're talking about," said Kara, feigning nonchalance.

"Right," Emily rolled her eyes and sighed, "of course not."

Kara gave Emily a warning look that could freeze water then nodded over to Max and Lee.

"What'd you do to them?"

"Me? Nothing," said Emily. "Lee offered to make the waffles and Max wanted to help. I just sat back and let them do all the work."

Kara looked on with disapproval as she saw them split a banana. Max always split fruit with her. He wasn't supposed to be grinning up at the strange man with bright blue eyes and a stupid smile. She shook away her petty thoughts. No, it's not like she could be replaced around here.

"Hey Lee, how would you like to take Kara's place? She never cooks and you're much better to look at in the mornings," joked Emily at the worst time imaginable. Kara reflexively punched Emily in the biceps. "Ouch! Kara, not so hard."

"Hmph. I'm pretty sure your fiancé would have something to say about that," said Kara as she limped over to the coffee pot and filled her mug half way.

When she turned, she nearly ran smack into Lee who then tried to go to her left as she did the same and they kept almost running into each other. One of those inopportune times presented itself and her knee gave way slightly. Kara reached out with her free hand and pushed against his chest, stilling his movements while she leaned on the counter with her other arm. On reflex his hand came up and wrapped around her wrist, but she jerked it away as if burned and sidestepped him.

Releasing a breath she was unaware she'd been holding, Kara rolled her eyes when she caught Emily watching the encounter with a bemused expression on her face. Returning to the table, Kara slouched down in her chair while Max brought over the peanut butter, syrup, and butter.

"Lee are you coming out with us on Wednesday?" asked Emily as she retrieved plates and silverware.

"Out on the harbor for the fireworks? I'm just doing whatever dad and Laura are doing," said Lee as he slid the waffles onto the plates, somehow managing to carry all four to the table at one time. _Of course_ Lee could do that, noted Kara. Lee could also crap gold bricks and walk on water.

"I can almost guarantee they'll be out there with us, since they've got a boat and Laura said she was bringing dessert. Ryan has his parents' large pontoon boat and we have a twenty-eight footer that's as old as dirt, but we latch them all together and have a cookout and a great time."

"You've got to come Apollo!" said Max as he did his best to get a cavity by slathering his waffle with peanut butter then dousing it in syrup. "I just got my kite and it's huge!" Max stretched his arms out as wide as he could.

"What do you have a kite for?" asked Lee as he took a bite out of his waffle.

Kara had to admit the waffle was good. Actually, it was very good. She was felt a pang of sadness as she remembered an evening when Lee made dinner for her and Zak. She forgot how well he could cook. Kara shook the fog away when Max hopped up and ran out of the kitchen, returning with a brightly colored box kite.

"Everyone always brings their kites out to the beach during the day. Last year mine broke and it fell in the water," Max frowned. "But not this year. Me and Starbuck picked this one out last week. Do you like it?"

Kara watched as Lee examined the kite, giving it as serious consideration as he would an important document or prized artifact. He nodded and handed it back to Max, giving him a sure smile. Lee might be awkward with kids, but he treated them as equals and they loved that.

"It looks great, Max. You and Starbuck did a good job." He glanced at her with the corner of his lip quirked upward and she raised her eyebrow in return. "Well, if everyone else is going to be there, I guess I will be too."

Kara ignored the way Lee looked directly at her when he said _everyone else._ Of course she'd be there. It's not like she could work with a bum knee.

.::.::.::.

After storing party food on the Old Man's boat, aptly named Galactica, Lee went with Laura to the beach in search of their neighbors. Spotting the box kite flying high in the sky and its owner, he and Laura set up camp near their neighbors.

"Hey Lee," greeted Emily warmly as she doused Max with a thick coat of sunscreen. "The Walker family does not tan," Emily explained as she closed the lid on the bottle, "we burn."

"My apologies," Lee replied. "Where is everyone?"

"Around… I think Kara went into the city for something or other," said Emily, seemingly unconcerned.

"I'll bet she did," Danny said tersely as he walked up beside Emily and Lee.

"Leave her alone _Daniel_," chided Emily. "She said she'd be back by two, which is a half hour from now."

"Isn't this a national holiday? What the hell… heck," covered Danny, glancing at Max, "is she doing, driving all over creation? I'll bet she's at work, not downtown. She's supposed to be resting, you know."

"Starbuck always says she'll rest when she's dead," said Max, who still managed to listen despite his apparent attention to flying his kite.

"Well, she sure is headed that way," said Danny under his breath. Lee looked at him sharply and caught Emily doing the same. Emily raised her eyebrows and looked away, shaking her head as she leaned over towards Lee.

"Ignore him, he always gets moody around this time of year."

Lee wasn't quite sure what to make of Emily's comment. Before he could prod further, he felt someone tugging on the back of his shirt. Turning, he found Sharon standing next to Hera, who was about a foot taller with a gap-toothed smile similar to Max's.

"Hera!" said Lee. "Gods, you look just like your mom."

Hera bit her lip shyly as she looked up at Sharon who nodded in encouragement.

"Hi… Apollo. It's nice to see you again."

"It's good to see you too. Where's your dad?"

"Bringing the casserole dishes," said Hera as she pointed to Karl who was carrying about twenty objects and sporting a beleaguered expression.

"I'm going to go give him a hand," said Lee. "See if Max will give you a turn with his kite."

Lee started towards Karl with a commiserating grin. "Need some help?"

"Always," said Karl. "Sharon picked out like… five dishes, couldn't decide, so she made all of them."

"Is she a good cook?" asked Lee as they headed toward the dock where his father's boat was moored, side-stepping all the families dotting the beach.

"Decent, I guess… for some odd reason she's really good at making Korean food."

"Weird," commented Lee as they approached the Galactica. "Dad? I've got Karl with me."

Bill came from below deck with a beer and a handful of cigars, wearing a large hat to protect his face. He greeted them and showed Karl where to store the food. As they stepped back onto the dock Lee saw Ryan approaching, still dressed in his scrubs.

"Well I'll be damned, you Colonials join in on any party you can get, huh?" he joked in passing as he patted Lee on the back. "See you all in a few, I've got to change. Anchors aweigh at 1800?"

"Sounds good, Ryan," said Bill as they continued up the dock and returned to the crowd.

Lee heard a familiar cackle and searched around until he found the owner. Kara was laughing with Jean and another man while Sam appeared to be reenacting Kara's now famous collision with the freight train and the former cheetah.

Kara was wearing jeans, her knee brace strapped to the outside. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he took the chance to observe her before she put up that cold front of which she was so fond. Breakfast Monday morning had gone a long way in mending they wide void between them, but she still remained relatively standoffish.

It was breezy by the shore and the wind kept sweeping through her hair, catching the sun at odd intervals as the golden strands licked at her neck and face. He scanned the rest of her body; observing how her body was much sleeker in tone than he recalled. As she raised her arm to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, he noted a streak of orange on her forearm. _Curious._

"Something wrong?" whispered Laura as she walked over to Lee and handed him a drink from the portable cooler.

"What? No… I was wondering who that man is, standing next to Kara."

"That's Kara's Master Chief on base, Taylor Gaffey," offered Laura. "His wife is just over there with their two daughters."

Lee looked to where Laura pointed, where a beautiful dark-skinned woman with two young girls, their dark hair twisted tightly with beads stacked at the tips, were filling their buckets with sand. As if on cue, he waved goodbye and returned to his family while Kara walked over with Sam and Jean.

"Hey, Lee," said Jean, her fingers threaded through Sam's. "I understand you were introduced to ultimate frisbee on Saturday. Was it everything you thought it'd be?"

"I figure any game —" said Lee as glanced at Kara pointedly, "that can knock Starbuck on her ass is worthwhile in my book."

The others laughed while Kara narrowed her eyes. "Watch out Senator. Might find yourself on your own ass soon enough."

"Duly noted... Oh, before I forget," said Lee as he motioned to her arm. She lifted it and there was a fine streak of orange paint, still wet. Without thinking he reached over and wiped off a strip, rubbing it between his fingers. _Oil-based_, he thought.

"Wonder where that came from," she said as wiped off the remainder. "Must have rubbed against something."

"Yeah," replied Lee. "Strange."

.::.

Dinnertime loomed as nearly a hundred boats dropped anchor in the harbor. Lee couldn't deny how good a time he was having, surrounded by friends both old and new. He was getting to witness first hand what Karl meant when he said _Kara and Emily always brought the party._

Mischief seemed to follow in their wake as they moved about on the boats, both sharing an identical twisted sense of humor, which caused most of the ruckus. Well, that and their infectious laughter.

Lee chose to stay out of harms way, sitting off to the side with Jeff and took the opportunity to learn a little about Emily's soft-spoken fiancé.

"I teach World History at the high school in town," said Jeff as he leaned back against the starboard side. "Went to Texas Christian University and played short-stop on the baseball team."

"I have no idea what a short-stop is, but I can appreciate playing a varsity sport while still maintaining a full course load."

"Did you play sports in school?"

"Yes, but not varsity, and the only thing from my youth that comes close to a sport you have here is Soccer."

Jeff nodded in understanding as another eruption of laughter came from Kara and Emily, both of whom were talking with his father who was emitting his deep-throated chuckle. It was an unusual sight, seeing his father so lighthearted, but Lee was learning to adapt. Rolling his eyes, Jeff gave him a long-suffering look.

"Are they always like this?"

"More often than not. Even though Kara's five years older, you'd think they were teenagers judging by the way they act half the time."

Lee nodded in understanding at Jeff's comment as a nearby boat turned on some music. Drawing Emily's attention, she spotted the pair looking her way and broke away from her conversation. She folded her tall form into a chair beside Jeff and beamed up at them.

"Have you told Lee about the first time you met Kara?" asked Emily. Lee turned to Jeff who gave Emily a long blink and grinned. He was such a goner.

"I'd been here 'bout a week, and I was wanderin' around town, lookin' for directions to the trailhead for Odysseus's Rock. Out of nowhere, this big silver dog nearly ran me over. Then that one," said Jeff as he raised his chin over to Kara, "walked up behind me and apologized, then asked why I looked so confused. We got to talkin' and she told me to come out to Dizzy's that night. Turns out, it was Karaoke night and she signed me up first thing as a… welcoming."

"What he isn't telling you," said Emily, swinging her arm around Jeff's shoulder, "is that Jeff here is a darn fine singer. Plays the guitar too."

"Really?" Lee couldn't imagine quiet, serious Jeff up on stage, singing his heart out.

"It's how he won me over."

"I thought it was my enchiladas?" he asked as he stole a quick kiss.

"Hey now you two, not while there are impressionable young minds around," cracked Danny as he came over next to Emily. "So uh, Em… Here's the deal. I uh… I accidentally left the sparklers at home."

"But Max and Hera love the sparklers," said Emily as she glanced around. "Look over there, Fred Murray has his fishing boat. See if he'll run you over to shore."

"D'you have any of that halibut I can barter with then?"

"How about you agree to take his sister out on a date instead?"

Danny gave Emily an angry look and for the first time, Lee realized that Danny was a force to be reckoned with. Emily blanched quickly while Danny shook his head at her.

"Oh Danny!" Emily gasped as she covered her mouth. "I wasn't thinking. Sorry. Here… let me uh… let me go get you a plate."

Lee watched Emily climb over to her boat while Kara walked up to Danny, nudging him in the arm. "Did you break the news?"

"Yeah, she suggested I ask Fred to give me a ride to shore."

"Hmmm, Fred's kinda quirky. You should take reinforcements," said Kara. She looked at Lee who frowned. "Take Lee, he's never seen your house or that boat you've been working on."

"How 'bout it Lee? You up for a quick ride?"

"Will we miss the fireworks?"

"We've got 'til dark, so just over an hour. Come on," said Danny as Emily returned with a foil-covered plate. He heard her whisper 'sorry' while Danny nodded, cuffing her on the shoulder lightly.

After sweet-talking the town eccentric into giving them a roundtrip ride to shore, Lee and Danny plodded up the dock then onto a trail leading in the opposite the direction of his father's house. Conversation was still light, but Lee couldn't help but notice Danny's edgy behavior as they neared his house.

Speaking of, Danny's house wasn't what Lee was expecting. He'd imagined a small bungalow shoved two or three streets away from the beach. No, this was a fair-sized house plush against the coast with at least three bedrooms. Lee suddenly wondered how much physical therapists made and whether or not he'd like the profession.

"Want to see the boat first? I'm still working on it so it's below my deck."

"Sure," replied Lee. They rounded the house and walked beneath the high-rise deck, Lee's jaw dropped. The 'boat' was about 40 feet long with the usual fiberglass hull. As they approached it, he saw the solid mahogany wood decking and whistled.

"Are you… refinishing this? How long have you been working on it?"

"A while now… just over four years."

"I don't know much about boats, but I mean, is that the average? What possessed you to buy a boat?"

Danny brushed a hand over his curly hair and sighed loudly.

"My wife and I were going to sail it with our daughter down to South America."

Lee raised his eyebrows as his jaw dropped, "your… w-wife?"

Danny looked back at Lee and let out a humorless laugh and started shaking his head.

"No one told you? I thought you and Kara… patched things up."

"We did, sorta. Told me what?"

Danny made a sour face and turned around abruptly. "Come on Lee, you need to try my homebrew, this month it's oatmeal stout."

Lee felt a little dizzy and wasn't really sure he needed a beer. He followed Danny as they climbed up his back steps and entered the kitchen. Other than finding it tidy and well decorated, Lee noted a drawing of an amorphous blob with crazy hair signed Max on the fridge. Danny emerged from a room that Lee took for the garage, holding a box of sparklers and two bottles of beer without labels.

"So…" Lee began as Danny handed over the beer and held open the kitchen door.

"Sorry, I uh. I don't talk about it often because everyone already knows," Danny continued on in silence for a couple minutes while Lee just drank his beer. He discovered that he was a fan of homebrew, especially the oatmeal variety.

"My uh... Rebekah and my daughter, Holly died," Danny looked directly at Lee as his voce cracked slightly, "four years ago, tomorrow."

Lee didn't know what to say so he kept quiet. He could feel the blood pulsing in his ears and saw the trail start to merge together in front of him. How could someone so happy and carefree as Danny have already laid to rest a child and his wife?

"They… there was… you know that subdivision up on Bedford Hill?"

"The one with all cookie-cutter houses?"

"Yeah, that one. The outlet of the subdivision used to be right below the crest of the hill. They'd been working a few months in the area and Mack trucks, those huge diesel trucks with a flat front, were always making a big commotion and stopping up traffic leading out of town."

Lee frowned; he had a feeling as to where this was headed.

"So, my girls were… coming back from a trip into the city and… a Mack truck took the turn too wide hit Rebekah's car head-on. Rebekah died on impact, Holly died on the way to the hospital."

Silence fell between them as Lee took in Danny's words. He started thinking about what Danny must be feeling, remembering his own wishes to talk about Zak after his death, occasionally even the end of the Colonies. Problem was, no one ever wanted to listen.

"If I'm asking too much, just let me know," said Lee carefully. "How did you meet Rebekah?"

Danny glanced over at Lee and he drew his eyebrows together.

"You know, other than Kara, you're the only one who's ever asked. Everyone assumes I never want to talk about them, like it's too painful."

Lee shrugged, waiting for Danny to proceed.

"It's your usual boy meets girl story, really. Rebekah moved here when I was a sophomore in high school and she was s junior. Her mom had some high-powered corporate job where she bailed out sinking companies and they moved around a lot. I think I fell in love with her the first time I saw her trying out for our swim team. It took me a year to work up the courage to ask her out."

"Yeah, I know what that's like," nodded Lee, remembering his younger days — and some of his more recent ones.

"I was only seventeen, but when we finally got together, it was like… I don't even know —"

"Like your entire life was building up to you two coming together?"

"Exactly. Like we were meant to be together and no one else would ever be able to fit that role."

Lee clenched his jaw. Unfortunately his wife wasn't the first person to spring to mind when he thought of being fated to spend all eternity with someone.

"So what happened after graduation?"

"I went just south to Stanford on a swimming scholarship and she went to Santa Clara for teaching."

"At least you weren't too far apart."

"No, but we both kept pretty busy," he said as he drained the last of his beer.

"We hit a rough patch when I started training for the Olympic trials in ninety-six. I was beat out by one of my college teammates, but I kicked his ass at Nationals the next year," said Danny with a rueful grin.

"I wrapped up school and we got married a month after graduation. Bek was finishing up her masters for teaching and I just started PT school. We were living off school loans and our only saving grace was that Bek's mom signed over the house as a wedding present when she moved back east."

"Nice present," muttered Lee. His apartment in Crystal City was a closet compared to Danny's house.

"Not so nice when you're all alone."

"Good point," Lee replied as the yacht club came into view. "When did Holly come along?"

"Let's see, Bek had been teaching at the high school for about four years, actually Jeff has Rebekah's old job. My baby girl was born in 2004. She was a leap-year baby."

"What were they like?"

"Bek was… smart and beautiful and driven… she had this laugh that made my heart stop," said Danny with a sigh.

Lee frowned again, once again an image of someone with blonde hair popped into his mind and it was certainly not his wife.

"I'll be damned if I don't still wake up every morning, wishing she was there to rub her cold feet against me and nudge me out of bed. And Holly… Holly was going to be just like her, eyes as bright blue as yours… Except she got stuck with my frizzy hair, poor kid," said Danny quietly as he yanked at the tip of his hair.

Lee envisioned a tiny Danny running around and was struck by the fact that he rarely, if ever considered children. They weren't really his thing. He liked being able to return them to their parents when they got out of hand.

"I bet she'd still be beautiful, regardless if she got stuck with your 'fro," said Lee as they waved to Fred Murray who'd finished his plate and was playing a harmonica. They climbed aboard his little boat and he took them back to Ryan's pontoon.

"Thanks Fred," said Danny followed Lee aboard. "You want some dessert?"

"No, no thank you. Watching my blood sugar," he said as tipped his hat and found himself an empty spot among the towering boats.

"Danny?" called Lee quietly before they joined the others. "Thanks for sharing your story with me. I wish I could have met them both."

Danny gave him a sad nod and looked away quickly, and Lee traced his gaze to Kara who'd just spotted them. She gave Danny a bright smile and Lee suddenly found himself wanting to be on the receiving end as well. He immediately tampered the wish, wary of where it could lead.

"Me too, Lee. Anyway, thanks for listening. It means a lot," said Danny as he tapped Lee's shoulder with the long box.

Lee nodded just as Kara came up with her hands held open, waiting for the sparklers.

"Took you both long enough," she said with a wink. "So Lee what'd you think?"

The way she said it made him get the feeling she knew exactly what Danny just shared with Lee.

"About the boat?" he asked as she nodded. He looked to Danny and said, "It was definitely worth the trip."

Kara gave him a measured look and she smirked ever so slightly, understanding Lee's meaning.

"Well, c'mon. We're all gathered on the Galactica. It'll be a tight fit, but I can always throw you overboard if we start to sink," she said over her shoulder said as they trailed behind her.

"Good to know you care so much," said Danny as he poked her in the back.

"Oh please. I care too much," she said as they reached the speedboat, squeezing into the remaining spots.

By nature of what was available, Lee ended up sitting next to Kara and across from Karl and Sharon. He tried to ignore how closely Kara sat next to Danny — doing her best to maintain no body contact with Lee whatsoever. Instead he focused on the cheerful, patriotic atmosphere and the warmth he derived from being surrounded by friends, old and new.

As the fireworks began and everyone settled back against the cushions for a better view, Kara started to relax. Lee loosened up slightly as well, taking in a deep breath of cool, salty air — the breeze carrying the scent of Kara's hair. He blinked quickly and forced himself to pay attention to the glimmering weeping willow in the sky.

"So Lee," said Danny during a brief lapse in fireworks. "Kara tells me you want to get a little better… acquainted with the town."

Hearing Danny's comment, Karl pulled the sucker out of his mouth and shook his head in warning.

"I uh… yeah, sure," said Lee; uncertain as to where this was leading. He caught the mischievous looks that Danny and Kara shot each other and immediately looked back to Karl for guidance. All Karl would provide was a shrug and a foreboding condolence.

"It was nice knowin' ya Apollo."

Lee wondered if they had suckers in hell.

.::.::.::.  
Next up: mud, pretzels, and landscaping. Que?


	5. Unsaid

Title: Almost Out of the Sky (5/12)  
Pairing: K/L... eventually  
Rating: M ish for language  
Disclaimer: BSG characters aren't mine, AOoTS is a poem by Pablo Neruda  
Summary: **Earth 201****2 AU**."Live a little. Take a walk on the townie side."  
A/N: Behold! A huge chap to make up for slackitude. A sparkly thanks to my beta Workerbee73

* * *

**Unsaid

* * *

**Not that you're the one  
Not to say I'm right  
Not to say today  
And not to say a thing... tonight

But suffice it to say  
We're leaving things unsaid  
We sing ourselves to sleep  
Watching the day lie down instead

And we are leaving some things unsaid  
And we are breathing deeper instead  
-_Unsaid_, The Fray

* * *

"Ouch," Kara hissed as she glanced down, a thorn bush having scratched her forearm, leaving a fine reddish line as evidence. She continued on, far too happy to be able to jog once again after being holed up for five days.

"Doofus, get away from that fence," Kara called out as she jumped over a log, her stride gradually picking up. She heard the shuffle of Sherlock as he came up behind her, trotting along at a quick beat.

"Fridays never felt so good, did they?" she asked as he matched her stride, tongue dangling.

Her knee was holding up for now, the short respite seemed to be doing the trick. She knew Lee was suspicious of her quick return to walking, but it wasn't exactly his business. It wasn't anyone's business. Whenever Danny or Emily remarked on how rapidly she healed from her various cuts and bruises, she always chalked it up to good genes. In fact, when she was younger, her numerous breaks and bruises did heal uncommonly fast, but never quite like this.

Kara frowned when she started to feel a twinge in her knee and slowed her pace a little, choosing to veer towards town as opposed to running along the beach.

"Wanna go to the office with me today?" she asked Sherlock as she bent slightly and trailed her fingers along his back. He looked up at her when she said 'work', letting out a gruff bark. When she actually stayed at work to do Colonial business, she'd occasionally sneak in Sherlock and keep him in her office while she put out the many fires that happened in her absence. Actually, Flight Coordinator wasn't her true position; it was more of an ancillary role. She was actually the CO of the Pacific Colonial Fleet. As her XO, Karl manned the fort in her absence and did a wonderful job, but in the end she had final say. Still, being CO of their tiny fleet and Flight Coordinator, although challenging and occasionally time-consuming, wasn't what occupied most her time, it was more a cover than anything else.

No, after arriving on Earth and becoming American citizens, she and a few other Colonials were selected to train and serve with an elite and highly covert group of American armed forces in counter-terrorism, both foreign and domestic. It was incredibly dangerous, involved great skill, and a lot of trust in herself and the men with whom she worked. At the time, the seven months of gruesome physical and professional training seemed like the perfect distraction from… her other problems. She rolled her eyes at her own sense of melodrama and pushed a little bit harder as she ran. Including training, the commitment was four years. Then she'd have the opportunity to re-up and stay with her unit or transfer elsewhere.

Kara grinned down at Sherlock as the trail gave way to sidewalk, taking the side closest to the street to keep him from wandering. She absently wondered if her painting was dry yet. She'd gotten the itch to make something for Karl two nights ago and hadn't been able to keep her mind off it since. Karl was one of the only people who knew she painted, and she liked it that way. Painting was something she did solely for herself and it certainly helped her release all those emotions she couldn't begin to understand. If she got a chance before she left for work she needed to go up into the tower and get a peek at it. She'd been dying to see what the hazy orange sun from Picon looked like on canvas in the daytime.

Roughly around five-thirty and the world was still asleep. Kara zoned out as she focused on the strain and pull of every muscle, the blood pumping in her veins and the steady increase in her breathing. It was this activity every morning that reminded her that she was still alive. That she was living and breathing, just like the next person.

Whatever that was worth. Of course, she may just live and breathe much longer than they could ever dream, or she could keel over tomorrow.

Finally reaching the summit, Kara slowed her quick jog to a fast walk as she twined her fingers behind her head. Inhaling deeply as she tried to regulate her breathing, Kara took in one of her favorite views and felt the familiar rush of appreciation for her life here.

The fog hovered over the harbor, creeping over rocks and along the shore. The sky was a dusky blue-grey — kind of like Danny's eyes whenever he got angry. The town was designed in a way that had two streets, Main and Center, which ran parallel to the beach. Separating the two streets was a large tree-lined grassy circle in the center of town with a fountain memorializing a Spanish explorer who named the area after a city in his favorite epic poem. By sitting along the edge of the fountain, one could watch the entire town pass by, going from Cliff's Grocery to Chubby's Coffee Shop, perhaps stopping into LuLu's for a haircut or a makeover from Ms. Bee. Lights began to flick on, dotting the landscape as they told her it was time to head back and begin her day.

Whistling to Sherlock, the pair continued their run down the hill and through town, where she was known for her quick pace and inability to keep a running partner who could keep up with her. Everyone always said they wished they had as much energy as she did, but they never understood what it was like to go three days without sleep (which was frequent) because her body didn't want to. They didn't understand why she had to back out of evenings out in the city because she had to go swim two miles. If she neglected to expel that energy, incapacitating migraines and muscle cramps would result. They didn't understand what it was like to wonder if she'd wake up in the morning or if she'd finally get that _one last mission_ that would seal her fate.

But what could she say? _She had been vaporized in a nuclear explosion and the gods sent her back because the fleet never jumped to Earth? That it had been her responsibility to ensure humankind's survival and get them to this habitable rock? _Even better_, the gods gave her back her life, but didn't mention they got the wiring wrong and gave her an excess of energy and an inability to die so she'd be sure to complete some unforeseen journey?_ Why couldn't she have ended up with super-human strength or invisibility instead?

Kara had researched and been tested for every imaginable alternative: a concussion, a brain tumor, and any obscure diseases. Cottle, one of two people who had a mere inkling of her physical issues, always shook his head at the results. Nothing worked. The inability to die wasn't for lack of trying either. Because of her… other activities, she was put in danger frequently and had suffered more than one sure-fatal accident. The catch was that it never killed her. More than that, it never left a mark. She should have realized that something was wrong that day when she returned to the _Galactica_ and had nary a mark on her, only a shimmering line along her upper arm through her tattoo where she'd been grazed by a bullet.

The result of her quick healing was running headfirst at whatever life threw her way, often with reckless abandon. She wasn't sure if that was anything knew for her, but she certainly possessed an even stronger sense of invincibility than she did before.

As Kara neared her yard, she cast a quick glance at the Old Man's house and groaned as she spotted Lee talking on his cell phone outside. It was probably Dee on the other end, judging by his focused pacing and tense posture. Frowning as she stretched, Kara felt that niggling sensation in her gut. Damn her relentless sense of loyalty. The other day, she'd gotten a peek at Lee Adama's true purpose for being here, and he seemed more lost than anything else. Kara knew what needed to happen, she just didn't want to do it. How was she supposed to maintain her distance if she had to be his friend?

Standing up, she threw a glance in Lee's direction and swallowed hard. It was time to pull out all the stops and welcome Lee to Ithaca Bay.

.::.::.::.

It was late Friday night when Lee awoke with a start, the sounds of suppressed laughter and a tickle under his nose startling him into a sitting position.

"Woah there Senator, keep covered. Don't need to see your number one constituent or anything," the hoarse whisper came from Kara, but she wasn't alone. Lee threw her a look and tossed off the comforter regardless.

"What the frak are you doing here? It's late," asked Lee, scrubbing his eyes with his palms.

"Kara told me you needed to be initiated," whispered Danny. "We're here to do that."

"Initiated? Do I look like I'm a frat boy in one of your colleges?"

"Suck it up D.C., put on some warm clothes and meet us outside, then we'll tell you what's going on."

Kara and Danny left through the door that led outside. He absently wondered how they got in, but couldn't find it within himself to care that much. Checking the clock, it was only twelve thirty but he'd been sleeping like a rock. He got dressed and slipped into some shoes. Cool and breezy as he descended the steps, the moonlight shone on Kara and Danny where they sat on the ground beside their toppled road bikes.

"You better have a good explanation for this."

"I recall you dancing around the topic of what it felt like to Ithaca Bay. We're going to show you a couple things we do to keep life exciting around here," offered Kara simply as she twisted a strand of hair in boredom.

"I brought my old bike over for you to ride," said Danny. "It should suit your needs for our first adventure."

"And what would that be?" asked Lee as Kara and Danny rose, pushing their bikes toward the drive where the spare bike and helmet were waiting.

"So many questions," said Kara. "Don't you _trust_ us?"

The way Kara said it made Lee a little suspicious. Then again, he was outside at midnight on a Friday, about to embark on some crazy adventure. _What the hell, why not?_

"Yes."

"Then sit back and let others do the thinking for a change," said Danny as he mounted his bike. "This will be an exercise in relinquishing some of that tight-ass control, my friend."

As Kara and Danny peddled away, Lee situated himself precariously on the bike. He hadn't ridden one since he was twelve. He was definitely going to be hurting come morning.

Ten minutes later and they met up with a group of people at the fountain in the center of town, all varying in age, but the key was their sole purpose for being there: midnight pretzel run.

"We're what?!" asked Lee incredulously.

"We riding to Andover, the next town north of here. Every night, they make a new batch of pretzels and they're out-of-this-world delicious. I'm pretty sure they're laced with crack," said Danny.

"He's joking," said Kara at Lee's dubious look. "Basically a group goes every Tuesday and Friday around midnight and for one dollar, you can get up to three pretzels and either caramel or cheese to dip your pretzel in. It's one of those things you've got to try just once."

"Yeah, your Old Man did it," said Danny. Lee frowned. He could be sleeping in his huge, comfortable bed. Instead, he was gallivanting around town at midnight in search of a snack. He could care less if his dad had done this. More power to him.

"Come on, Lee," Kara beseeched. "Live a little. Take a walk on the townie side."

It took a few more minutes of convincing, but when the group began to depart, Lee figured he could always grab a nap later in the day to make up for it. As the crowd of nearly forty cyclists headed north, Lee was situated firmly in the middle of the pack with Kara and Danny. He listened to their easy conversation, the way their ideas bounced off each other and the resulting laughter. Others in the group seemed to be familiar with their comical banter, lobbing in opinions and agreements at will.

About thirty minutes later, Danny stuck his nose in the air and inhaled deeply. "Mmmmm, smell that? It's twist-tied golden perfection, just waiting for our grabby hands."

Lee inhaled the rich scent of doughy goodness and came to a slow stop in the parking lot of the pretzel shop. All the cyclists dismounted and seemed to be breathing in just as deeply as Lee. He had to admit it did smell phenomenal. He looked around and saw other groups of people, most in their twenties or still in college, were sitting around in the grass across the street or on the patio outside. No, this wasn't abnormal at all.

"Go grab a spot, I'll get the first round," said Danny as he headed toward the line. Lee watched Danny for a moment, looking for any traces that he was still having a hard time, but he seemed fine.

Lee turned towards Kara. "Do you and Danny do this often?"

"About once a month. Since I'm not here very often, we tend to seize the opportunity whenever I'm around. Ryan comes sometimes too. He can eat about four pretzels and still make the ride back."

"Impressive," remarked Lee as they sat down in the grass, both leaning back on their hands as they watched others walk by, emitting sounds of gastronomical delight. "Do you ever get tired of it? All the traveling?"

"Eh, you get used to it. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I stayed around here the whole time. I'd probably go insane and take everyone with me. Still, there's loads of stuff to do here, and when I get tired of small town life, I just head into the city for a night."

"But Ithaca Bay is a good place to come back to? When you've done a trip around the world once or twice?"

"Yeah," said Kara as she watched Danny approaching with the pretzels. "It's nearly perfect."

"Dude, these are wicked hot, so be careful," said Danny as he handed out the pretzels and sat across from Lee and Kara. From thin air, two cups of dip seemed to materialize and Kara went straight to the caramel, moaning in such a way that made Lee's ears turn pink when she took her first bite. He followed suit and nearly did the same.

"Good?" asked Danny as he waited for Lee's reaction.

"Amazing," said Lee without pause. They sat around and chatted as they polished off their pretzels, even going up for another round. He wasn't sure if it was the cool, crisp night air, the bike ride over, or the pretzel itself, but the whole experience seemed to cement itself in his mind.

"You're pretty quiet. Tired?" asked Kara as returned with their fresh pretzels. Danny hopped up to go speak with some friends nearby, snagging his pretzel from Kara in passing.

"Yeah," agreed Lee. "I don't do stuff like this very often."

"That's the point. Get out of your comfort zone, do something you'd never consider doing."

"I've spent plenty of time outside my comfort zone, thanks," Lee shot back, feeling defensive. Kara merely shrugged and didn't say anything further until they rose to leave.

"Gods I'm full. Just roll me home," said Kara as she bumped into Danny with her shoulder.

"Not so fast," he said as he glanced at Lee. "You prepared for part two?"

"There's more?" asked Lee.

"Yup," said Kara. "A day's worth. You aren't going to be a sucker and _give up_ are you?"

Her sharp tone felt like a dagger to his side. Coupled with the looks that she and Danny gave him, it was enough to make Lee shake his head immediately.

"Of course not. I can handle it. Where to next?"

"Again with the questions," Kara replied. "Just hop on the bike and enjoy the ride. It's life, Lee. Live it."

Lee made a face at her comment as he mounted the bicycle again. He _was_ living it. Every single day.

Forty minutes later and Lee was securing his bike with theirs next to a tree at the base of a trail. It was sometime after three and Lee was getting his second wind.

"Think fast," Kara said as she tossed him a flashlight. He clicked it on and off and waited for Danny to finish locking up the bikes. Kara tossed Danny one as well and they started walking the trail.

The next hour was relatively quiet as they continued their ascent in silence with sporadic conversation at times. Lee's mind wandered to his life back in Washington, to things he was learning by being out here. He was well aware he had a control issue. Ana brought it up frequently in their most recent arguments. Lee knew that it stemmed from his childhood, but he just wondered if there was a way to undo his wiring, to learn how to _let go_.

It was over an hour later when they finally reached the summit of the trail. The trees were sparse and the wind blustered over the sharp face of the sheer rock. Lee had to zip up his jacket against the cutting air that tried to seep through every opening in his clothing.

"Lee, meet Odysseus's Rock," said Kara. "The locals call it Ody's, but that's up to your discretion."

For Lee's part, he was nearly speechless. It was predawn and the sky was dusky, casting a sleepy haze on his surroundings. _Ody's Rock_ jutted out over the Pacific, towering roughly 500 feet above the water crashing on sharp rocks below. Kara and Danny walked forward with due caution — there were divots and rises in the rock that were hard to discern. Lee followed behind, feeling the wind pull at his jacket and hair making visibility a little difficult.

They didn't get all the way to the edge, but Kara went a little farther forward and looked back at Danny and Lee expectantly.

"Well, get over here and take a seat," she said as she hopped down onto another ledge and got situated. Danny sat down next to Kara and mirrored her by leaning back on his pack while Lee lay down, the cool rock flat against his back.

"Ahhhh," said Danny as he exhaled loudly next to Lee. "Smell that? It's 100% bonafide freedom Lee. You've got the rest of your life ahead of you. What are you going to do now?"

Lee knew Danny was joking, but he'd inadvertently brought reality crashing down and Lee couldn't take a deep breath at the sour thought it gave him. Kara caught his look and seemed realize the problem.

"Dan, no real world right now. This is a life-application session."

"Oh right. Lee, forget what you do back east. Take a deep breath, good and long, like you want it to reach your toes."

Lee did as he was asked and took a breath so deep he felt his lungs would burst as his eyes slowly fell shut.

"Great, keep your eyes closed and relax. Just breathe in deep."

Lee continued breathing, focusing on the rushing waves below and squawk of an occasional bird that passed. He could feel the tension in his body, balled up at the base of his neck, between his shoulder blades, tight in his chest. Slowly, not entirely, he felt it all break up a little. He let images from his time here filter in, brief flashes that reminded him of what life could be like. He saw Max and Emily laughing at the breakfast table while Sherlock licked syrup off Kara's cheek; his father and Laura sharing a smile over dinner; Karl dodging Hera and Max as they chased him with sparklers; Danny and Ryan's faces as a leather-clad Kara left Chubby's.

It didn't occur to him that his wife wasn't among his mental ménagerie.

"Hey sleeping beauty," whispered Kara close to his ear. He cracked his eyes open to see Kara staring down at him with the corner of her mouth raised. He remembered being in this position before on the cold metal deck of a Basestar, warm blood seeping throw his fingers as tears filled Kara's eyes.

She hadn't been smiling then.

"Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep," said Lee as Kara leaned back, giving him room to sit up.

"No problem, just figured you'd like to see the show since that's what we're here for," said Kara as she motioned behind them to the east.

The sun hadn't yet broken the horizon, but it was close, illuminating the sky in an array of rich pinks yellows and purples. Turning around with Danny and Kara, Lee leaned back on his hands and watched the world wake up.

No one said much, but this wasn't a time for speaking. It was a time to appreciate the beauty of the world around him. As he sat there, Lee realized he truly feel lighter, as though he'd wrapped up a little of his stress and sent it away in a package. He wondered if it was his current state of mind, their location, or the phase of life Lee was moving into. All he knew was that he was grateful for Danny's yogi-like tendencies.

As the sun started to move higher into the sky and the dusky haze fell away to a somewhat overcast morning, the trio stood from their perch and stretched out the kinks.

"Goodness, I think I'm hungry again," said Danny as he rubbed his belly.

"You're _always_ hungry," said Kara as she pulled herself up onto the first ledge.

"So what? It's what happens when you spend your entire life as a swimmer."

"Excuses, excuses," said Kara as Lee finally joined them and they walked a few feet until Kara called out to them.

"Wait. Let me take a couple shots, I didn't bring my camera for nothing," she said as she pulled out a digital camera with a long lens and tons of bells and whistles. "Okay, act like you're friends."

Kara took a couple photos until Danny demanded that she get in one. Kara found a large rock to place the camera on and set the timer. She came back and stood next to Lee, not exactly touching him. Rolling his eyes, he slung his arm around her shoulder and brought her close. He smiled when he felt her arm wrap around him as well. Danny jerked away abruptly, claiming that Kara had poked him in the side. In retaliation he poked her in the cheek just as the flash went off. They managed to behave themselves for the last couple shots, making sure to sandwich Lee nice and tight in the middle.

.::.::.::.

"Mornin' Flo'," said Danny as he cruised into the diner. "Meet Lee, Lee meet Flo'. She is an incredible woman. Bask in her presence."

"Save it honey, we don't have any leftover cobbler. Mo's in the back making his famous frittata though. Oh, and nice to meet you Lee. Bless your soul for putting up with these two," she said as she pointed them to a booth and wrapped a weathered hand under Kara's a chin, giving it a light squeeze.

Lee slid in next to Kara and watched Flo' walk behind the counter. She looked to be anywhere between 50 and 80, sounded like she'd been smoking her entire life, and looked like she was part native American with black hair sporting streaks of white.

"So who discovered this place?"

"My sister Sydney. She works with Flo' and Mo's daughter at the university."

"Your sister is a professor?"

"Yeah, I guess you could consider her pre-law. She teaches a lot of American political-science classes."

"Watch what you say Danny," said Kara as she fiddled with the sugar container. "Lee's likely to crap his pants at the mention of a fellow poly-sci lover."

"All right kids," said Flo as she returned to her table with a pad of paper. "Whatchyou want? The works?"

"Hell yeah" "Damn straight" said Danny and Kara in unison. Flo simply smirked and tucked her pencil into her bun and slid the pad into her pocket.

"The works?" asked Lee as her surveyed his companions.

"Hope you're hungry," said Danny with a grin.

No more than ten minutes later, Flo brought out more plates than there was table space. Three of everything came out: frittatas, bowls of fresh fruit, sweet potato muffins, and sides of homefries. Lee doubted he'd be able to eat it all, but his grumbling stomach seemed to think otherwise.

"Mmmm now for a moment we want you to forget how amazing the food is. We don't get the wrong idea," said Kara as she took a large bite of her frittata.

"What do you mean?" asked Lee.

"Well…" started Kara, but Danny took up for her. "It's just that… we're giving you the highlight of the area. Obviously there are negatives to any town, like minimal nightlife and poor beer selection, overbearing old women who sit around and gossip, and lately there's been increasing tension between locals and the Colonials over job competition."

"I never assumed Ithaca Bay was perfect," said Lee. "I've already had a run-in with old Ms. Haverford. In ten minutes I learned of all the town's scandals over the past six years, which women Ryan has dated, and was invited to a town meeting to discuss the job issue. "

"Have fun at the meeting. It's a tough crowd," said Kara as she took a sip of water. "We just didn't want you to have the wrong impression. But enough of all that. Do you like your food?"

"I think the last time I had a breakfast that big was the morning after I met up with you and Zak that one night about two weeks before his graduation and we spent all night at that club. What was it called?"

Kara absently raked her hand through her hair and twisted it behind her, puzzling for it's name. She snapped her fingers, "Zeus's Playground!?"

"Yeah, that's right. Gods that place was a dive. Remember when Zak—"

"tried to score us free drinks by asking that waitress for her number because you were too nervous—"

"and she dumped an entire pitcher of ale over his head?"

"That was such a waste of perfectly good ale too," pouted Kara. Glancing across the table, Lee saw Danny looking between him and Kara with amusement, but a little confusion as well.

"Sorry," said Kara quickly.

"No it's okay," said Danny. "You and Zak were brothers, right? Is he how you two met?"

"Yes and no," said Lee as he looked between Danny and Kara, who wasn't meeting his eyes. "We both knew of each other, though I was a year ahead when I went through the academy. She was always this hotshot nugget trying to beat all my records."

"Not _trying_. I _did_ beat your records, thankyouverymuch."

"So how long have you two known each other then?"

"Ten years, give or take," said Lee as he drummed his fingers on the table.

"Really? That long?"

"Yeah, I mean, there were chunks of time in there that we didn't see each other, " said Lee.

"Let me get this straight," Danny said as he leaned forward on the formica tabletop. "You were almost family once, yet when you got to Earth you just… stopped talking to each other?"

Lee felt his face suddenly get hot and simply nodded, unsure of what to say. He felt Kara nudging him in the arm and he turned to her with a look of uncertainty.

"Budge over Senator, I've gotta hit the head."

Lee rose quickly and watched as Kara walked away to the opposite end of the dinner, pulling out her cell phone. When he sat back down, he found Danny's steady gaze a little too hard to bear.

"Huh… Interesting," was all Danny said, but it was more of a revelation than a question. Lee looked up to see Danny piling the plates and silverware, pushing them to the end of the table.

They sat in relative silence until Kara returned, tossing some money down and tapping them on the shoulders as she passed.

"Let's hit the road."

.::.::.::.

"Watch out!" Called Kara as she navigated the riding lawn mower around the flowerbed where Lee was currently stationed.

"I don't know how you talked me into letting you driving that!" called out Danny above the awful din.

"It's because you can deny me nothing," she shouted as she took off on a straight strip of grass toward the backyard. Danny and Lee continued to work, casual chatter occupying their labor.

"Explain to me again," said Lee as he ripped out another handful of weeds, "how yard work is supposed to change my world view."

"It's not really," said Danny. "I have underhandedly recruited you and your wingman for purely selfish reasons. When my mom is at church she has a tendency of signing me up to do things without asking, even now that I'm… thirty-four. I found out a couple days ago that it was my week to take care of Mrs. Leonard's yard. It's okay though, Mrs. L makes amazing dessert."

"Once again, you are motivated by your stomach," said Lee as he grabbed a large pile of weeds and tossed them in the refuse bin.

"Not entirely. I've known Mrs. Leonard my whole life and she's one of the nicest women I've ever known. Better than that, she doesn't like Old Ms. Haverford and her gossipy ways."

"I can't wait to meet her then," said Lee. "Does Ryan do stuff like this as well? He doesn't seem like the community service type."

"While I tolerate it, Ryan actually likes community service. Only thing, is he has to work on the weekends about twice a month, so he's not all that available."

"And Kara? How'd you talk her into it?"

Danny shrugged as he sat back on his heals, face pinched in thought. "About two years ago, she'd been gone on a trip for a week and came back all broody and pissy. In another self-serving move, I asked her for help to try and break her funk. Oddly enough, it worked. Besides, she has a sweet spot for Mr. Owen across the way."

Just then Kara came tearing around the corner in the lawnmower, kicking up grass and dust behind her.

"Dude, it's not one of your Vipers," called out Danny.

"_Dude_, I just finished the back yard," she mocked as she started on a diagonal track across the front yard, maneuvering quickly around trees and flowerbeds.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised," said Lee, somewhat puzzled. "Kara has never been the type to sign up for free labor."

"Eh," said Danny. "I think she does it because she's bored and she likes to drive the lawn mower. Though I don't think everyone appreciates decorative motifs cut into their yard."

Lee watched Kara who looked like she was doing her best to pop onto the back tires of the lawn mower and nodded. "Boredom and Kara never were a good combination."

"Very true. Don't tell her I said this," said Danny quietly, "but underneath all that bravado, she definitely has a heart of gold."

Quirking his eyebrows, Lee grinned at Danny's comment. "I can see that. Can't have anyone thinking she's nice or anything. It would ruin her image."

"You got that right," Danny rolled his eyes as he nodded. The sat back and pulled off the gloves, having finished their weeding.

"Hey Starbuck?" Lee called out as she was completing her final lap. "What do you hear?"

An odd look passed over her face at Lee's question, like she almost didn't want to answer him. She must have pushed it aside, because she looked over at him and gave him a bright, genuine smile. Maybe she was finally warming up to him.

"Nothin' but the Rain."

Danny chuckled at their trade-off, dragging the refuse bin toward the street. "You two are almost as bad as her and the Old Man."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or not," Lee replied as he scanned the yard, noting how good a job they'd done. Kara strutted up to the pair, a fine sheen of sweat coating her face and arms.

"Mrs. Leonard is waiting for us out back with milk and pie at the ready," she said with a tilt of her head. Lee fell into step behind Kara and Danny, studying Kara as she pulled an elastic from her wrist and pulled her hair up into a pony tail.

True to Danny's claims, Mrs. Leonard was quite possibly the nicest woman he'd ever met. Not to mention, her chess pie was to die for. No more than five minutes after Lee licked his fork clean did he find himself trudging up the street, having promised Mrs. Leonard to drop by for tea some time the next week.

"I'll meet you both at The Slick in a little while," said Danny as parted from Lee and Kara on his riding lawn mower.

"Where's he off to?" asked Lee as he watched Danny head in the opposite direction. Just then, the skies opened up and unleashed their fury.

"Cemetery," Kara replied, her voice sounding pinched as she glanced upward at the downpour. "Every Saturday, like clockwork. Come on, Lee. I have a feeling you're going to like this next part."

.::.::.::.

"Lords of Kobol, you should see your face," remarked Kara with a laugh as she sat up, heedlessly pushing her matted hair out of her face. There was a group of young teenagers with paint ball guns slipping and sliding down the far side of the hill, laughing and teasing.

"I imagine it looks just like yours," said Lee as he threw another clump of mud at her. "I can't believe you brought me here."

Lee threw himself back with a plop into the ruddy brown earth and spread his arms and legs to make mud angels, further coating himself under inches of slimy muck. Still, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun, or ever having been this dirty.

"Why? What'd you think I meant when I said we were going to _The Slick_?"

"Honestly? A water park or something, not a giant field of mud," he said, as the rain started coming down a little harder. "How often do you come out here?"

"Not all that often, but Sherlock loves it."

"_Shocking_," quipped Lee as he leaned back on his forearms. "You know, you could have warned me before you pushed me down the hill. I think I got a bruise."

"Warn you?" asked Kara, incredulous. "Like you'd have willingly flung yourself down into a mud patch."

"No, but I would have readily sacrificed you," said Lee as winked. "Want to do it again?"

Kara waited a beat before replying, a roguish smile settling over her face. It reminded him a younger, more naïve Kara and he missed that part of her… the part that could talk him into doing anything.

"Race you!" Kara used Lee to lever herself up, climbing over him as she sprinted up the steep, muddy hill.

"Starbuck! Not fair," said Lee, laughing as he chased after her, mud splattering in their wake. He reached out and grabbed her left ankle, grinning in satisfaction as she face-planted into the ground.

"Okay, now you're just fighting dirty," Kara growled as she pushed herself upwards. He could feel her grabbing at his pant legs, but she couldn't secure a strong grasp. Lee reached the top of the hill and raised his arms up, jumping around.

"Wooo! I win!"

"You frakker!"

"Wow, look at you two," said Danny as he unleashed Sherlock, letting him sprint towards Kara, causing her to slip to the ground and start laughing once her dog made contact.

"You know Danny," said Kara with a playful glint in her eye, "that's a nice shirt you've got on there."

"She's right," Lee said as he started approaching Danny, whose palms rose in surrender. "It'd be a shame to get it dirty, wouldn't it Starbuck?"

"A real shame, Senator," she said giving him a familiar smile. She released Sherlock, watching as he took off at a run and slid the rest of the way down the hill to the teenagers who seemed to recognize him and started cheering.

"Guys, now slow down," said Danny backing up. "My mom got me this shirt for Christmas."

"That's just…" Kara lobbed a packed ball of mud directly at Danny chest, "too bad." Lee and Kara proceeded to pelt Danny with mud until he was completely coated.

"You two are the worst," said Danny as he scraped the mud from his face, shaking his head at them.

"Don't blame us because you're awful at evasion tactics," challenged Kara.

"Is that so?"

Danny started chasing after Kara, her bare feet squelching in the mud as she dodged his grasp. When he finally caught her, he convinced Lee to grab her ankles while he had her wrists.

"I swear on Max's beautiful head, if you so much as drop me, you both will spend the rest of your lives sleeping with one eye open," threatened Kara as she struggled to free herself.

"One," said Danny as he started to swing her.

"Two," said Danny and Lee in unison. If Lee was going to die, this would be the way to go out.

"Three," they lowered her slightly and carefully swung her down the hill, her threats and protests filling the air.

"After you," said Lee, as he motioned to Danny.

"Oh, no sir, you first."

"Please I insist," Lee shrugged out of Danny's grasp, but as he did so, he tripped and ended up loosing his footing.

"HA!" yelled Kara. "Serves you right."

Lee slid to a bumpy halt at the bottom of the hill, thinking he may have swallowed an earthworm or two. Kara promptly clobbered him with several mud pies, while Danny slid gracefully down the hill on his stomach.

"Show off," said Kara as she half-heartedly chucked some more mud at him. "Sherlock wants to go again."

"I'm getting too old for this," whined Danny. They tugged each other up off the ground and went a couple more times, but the last was just Kara and Lee

"I've got to make a phone call," said Danny as he waved them off. "Make sure our next destination takes rowdy folks like yourself."

"One more time?" asked Lee as he glanced over at Kara. The rain had abated briefly, but now it started pouring harder.

"Why not?" shrugged Kara. Together, they slid down the hill on their butts, yelling all the way. Landing in a heap at the bottom, Lee pulled Kara's foot out from under his back.

"You aren't very comfortable," noted Lee as he flopped back down, exhaustion taking hold.

"I beg to differ," she replied as she tucked her hands beneath her head. He glanced over at her and saw her looking up to the sky, raindrops forming channels through the mud on her face and arms. They lay in silence for a few more moments while Lee wavered between trying to get her to open up; or simply push forward. His grumbling stomach decided for him.

"Come on, I think I've finally burned off that pie," said Lee as he stood warily, the day's events taking it's toll. Holding out his hand to her, Kara looked up at Lee, surveying him carefully. Finally, she reached up and clasped his hand, letting him tug her upward.

"Final thoughts on our excursion?" she asked, reminding him that there was actually a reason for being here.

Rain falling all around, a rush of memories swept over Lee. Camping during the drizzle in the forest on Kobol, so very glad to have his father and Kara nearby and safe; standing before Kara on the _Pegasus_ when she asked him to back her in doing the unthinkable; exhaustion, sweat, and blood combining as they pounded all their frustration and anger into each other — and later the hug they shared.

Finally breaking the moment, Kara's eyebrows drew together, as though she too were reliving the past. She pulled her hand from his grasp and broke away quickly, heading up the hill.

"You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?" Lee called out, not exactly answering her question. She stopped and turned, sliding slightly as she did so.

"Nice try, Senator. But no," she said, sounding defeated. "It's a little simpler than that."

He then considered the yard work and the fun he'd just had.

"Work hard, play harder?"

"Pretty much." Kara turned around and continued up the hill. Lee sighed loudly, brushing the mud from his face.

.::.::.::.

Lee came out of the men's public restroom by the beach, having taken a five-minute shower and changed into spare clothes that Kara must've snagged while he was sleeping that morning. Returning to the parking lot, he came to a halt when he finally witnessed something that made his heart lurch inexplicably.

Kara was sitting in the passenger seat of Danny's jeep; the door opened wide as her feet rested upon the edge of the open window. Danny was leaning against the doorjamb, laughing at something she said but stopped abruptly when she reached out to touch his neck. She seemed to be scratching off a bit of dried mud he'd missed during his shower and was wholly absorbed by her task, going so far as to lick her thumb to wipe it off. What bothered Lee was the way Danny was looking at her, open affection on his face, looking like a frakking All-American with his toothpaste model smile and dirty blond hair. Quashing his fleeting jealousy, Lee walked to the jeep and threw his soiled clothes in the back while Danny walked over to the driver's side like nothing happened.

"Nice shirt, Senator," said Kara as she squeezed into the backseat with Sherlock, giving Lee the front seat while Danny climbed in the driver's side.

Lee frowned as he looked down at the shirt, knowing she'd purposefully chosen the one that had a promotional ad for breast cancer research on it.

"Not ashamed to stand up for causes I believe in," Lee replied assuredly.

"The question, is _which part of you stands up_?" Kara replied, causing Danny to burst out in laughter while Lee just rolled his eyes.

Danny drove south on the two-lane road where _The Boys of Summer_ was blaring and the wind made communication difficult. The sky had cleared up and it was looking to be a beautiful evening. He still had no idea where they were going, but Kara and Danny were dressed casually, so Lee knew no gourmet food was in his future. He tried his best not to think about what he'd just witnessed, but he couldn't help but wonder if he'd finally seen the way Danny and Kara acted when they were alone. He paid no attention to the stabbing sensation in his chest at the thought of Danny and Kara becoming _DannyandKara._ Before he could ponder any further, a pale foot with hot pink toe nails brushed against his cheek.

"Ew Kara, no," he said as he pushed her foot away, ignoring her menacing laughter. Lee glanced around and realized they'd parked in a grassy field.

"Then move your ass, Lee. We're here," she said as she pulled her legs up and climbed out the back of the jeep, ignoring Danny's proffered hand.

They appeared to be at some sort of concert venue as indicated by a sign that read _Saturdays after Seven – Live Music_. The parking lot was set above the pavilion, shuttling the concertgoers down a series of steps to picnickers on grassy sections or under the shell of the amphitheater.

"Lee, not down there, this way." Danny directed Lee to the side as they walked along the outskirts of the grass to where there appeared to be private boxes. Though he'd seen several performances at The Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap, Lee never had the pleasure of sitting so close to the stage.

"Good ole' Bob and Carol came through, didn't they?" asked Kara as Danny flashed three tickets to security who let them into a box seat.

"My parents," Danny explained, "have had season tickets to this place since it opened nearly thirty years ago. About two years back they were offered box seats for their continued support of fine arts in the area."

"So _generous_, those two," Kara muttered as she took the far seat, leaning back as she crossed one leg over the other.

"Kara and my parents don't get along," Danny whispered to Lee as the band started warming up. Lee wanted to press further but was distracted by the program Kara shoved in his face.

"How'd you know I like Jazz?"

"I didn't have a clue," said Danny. "I couldn't decide if we should come here or go to the sail-in, but the movie they're showing tonight looks awful and Kara gets bored watching movies."

"Sail-in?"

"It's like a drive-in, but with boats instead," Kara offered. "It works in theory, but in reality it kinda sucks when it's windy or the weather changes quickly."

A waitress came by and dropped off a picnic basket similar to those of the other patrons. This must have been what Danny was calling ahead for. Food and drinks were divvied up as they sat around a table in the corner, the concert just beginning.

Romo, aficionado of all things Hitchcock, was also the one responsible for turning Lee on to jazz. He'd play it late at night when it was just them in the office, a glass of scotch in one hand and some form of long-winded legislation in the other. Lee preferred the pianists while Romo favored big band music but also liked the mellow drive of Miles Davis and the bluesier side of Charlie Parker.

A petite young woman came out on stage and took the seat at a large Steinway, waving at the audience. Fellow musicians joined her one stage, looking very much like an eclectic bunch. The lights dimmed, chairs scratched the pavement as patrons resituated, and Kara returned to her seat in the corner, bracing her arms on the ledge of their box.

The music started with a hoppy beat, causing feet to bob throughout the pavilion. Lee leaned back and rested his head against his chair, recalling the last night he'd spent in his office, just him and Romo:

"_I can't do this anymore. I'm… everyday I wake up… wishing that I didn't," he'd admitted quietly after a glass too many of Romo's top-shelf whiskey. _

"_You know what to do about that, don't you?"_

"_Tell Ana?"_

"_Eh… Since you made the decision to stick around for good, maybe you should just take a break and go visit the Old Man for a while. Figure out what it is you're fighting for."_

"_You think I've forgotten?"_

"_How can you forget what you don't even know? What we do here, day in and day out, isn't what it's like out there. Take a leave of absence, see what it's like then come back here ready for round two."_

_Lee puzzled over his comment, the words swimming before him._

"_And what if I don't want to come back?"_

"_Then I guess I'll have to get another drinking partner," said Romo as he loosened his tie and turned the page. "I think Sonja will do just fine, thanks."_

Clapping filled the air, bringing Lee back to the present. He wondered how Romo was fairing with Sonja. He wondered so many things about all the loose ends he'd left behind, wondered if any headway had been made on their current legislation, whether the Senator from Illinois was going to keep putting him in his place, whether his wife was working late that night or if she was out with the others, grabbing a night cap.

Another song picked up, more laid-back this time. Lee watched as Kara leaned back against her seat, her arm bent and fist supporting her head. Lee glanced back at Danny and saw him mouthing along quietly as he played with the label on his beer. Romo would say this was a 'Blue Monday' song and mock the singer for all her heartfelt woes.

"Damn, this song is enough to drive anyone to drink," whispered Kara.

"I don't think that was the intent," said Lee as he bumped her with his shoulder. "You're not a big jazz fan are you?"

Kara bit her lip in contemplation and forged ahead. "I love music — all forms."

She didn't elaborate, but he looked over and caught a type wistfulness in her eyes that was hard to place. He'd been trying to get her to open up all day, especially about more personal things, but she somehow found a way to answer him without actually answering. She must've mastered that skill over the past three years, because he remembered a time when even her silence spoke more to him than words.

He weighed the odds and forged ahead, hoping this would be his chance.

"What do you love about it?"

She took her time responding, so long that he thought she wouldn't answer and he regretted asking. When she did, it was quiet and smashed together, like she was shy about her admission.

"I love that any given song can mean something completely different from one person to the next. I love that I can be taken from wherever I am to a point in time where I first heard the song and liked it. I love the rhythm and the care taken to find the perfect note, the perfect flow, I love simple melodies and complex beats, I love… I love…"

Her voice petered out and Lee knew she felt embarrassed by her unusual outburst. He, however, felt unnaturally giddy. Sometimes she'd open up like this, but it was rare and he always had to tread lightly.

"Yeah," he whispered, "me too."

Kara's eyes darted from the stage to his as he offered her his warmest smile. She waited a second before rolling her eyes then turned back to the stage. Leaning forward slightly, Lee caught the goofy grin creeping across her face.

That grin alone was worth this entire day.

Leaning back in his chair once again, he nodded back at Danny in thanks and sighed in content as another song began.

_I've got you under my skin…_

.::.::.::.

Toweling off from his shower late that evening, Lee came out of the bathroom wearing only fleece pants in search of a clean t-shirt.

"Time for laundry?"

Lee turned quickly, startled by Kara's voice. In his distraction Lee neglected to notice her leaning against his headboard.

"Frak, Kara. I thought you were done sneaking in here."

A mischievous smile crept across her face as she blinked. It unsettled him slightly. Turning to his dresser, Lee tried to ignore how natural it looked to see her sitting on his bed in her pajamas.

"It occurred to me earlier that there was one more thing that could make you feel… welcome here," she said as she rose slowly. He glanced over and saw that she was wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and some running shorts, definitely nothing for him to worry about.

"Trust me, after the day we've had, I feel plenty welcome," Lee replied honestly, finally spotting a faded t-shirt in his drawer and pulled it over his head.

"Fine Senator, but this is a one time offer," she goaded.

Lee looked up and watched as she grabbed the ends of her hair with both hands and twisted them together and released, making her hair cascade down one shoulder. He realized it wasn't the first time he'd seen her do it. Nervous habit, perhaps?

"Fine then, what is it?" asked Lee as he tossed his towel on the bed and walked up to her, closer than what was acceptable, but never close enough for them.

He traced her gaze downward and saw her outstretched hand and realized that this was it. Her final peace offering, her clear acceptance of him back in her life. Unable to hide his delight, he grabbed her hand quickly and looked up to find a hesitant smile on her face.

When she tugged him closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, he fully obliged, his own arms finding purchase in once familiar places. He didn't bother muffling the deep breath he took, inhaling Kara, both old and new. It was odd, not picking up her old scent of cigar smoke, engine grease, and sweat. Instead, this was a freshly showered Kara — soft and warm, smelling clean with a hint of fragrance he couldn't place.

"I missed you," he said slowly, hoping the words conveyed his feeling. He remembered the last time they uttered those words. It was a time when blood, anger, and bruises had accompanied the sentiment.

"I missed you too," she whispered against his neck, so softly that he thought he'd imagined it.

Lee let out a long breath and pulled her even tighter to him, her hands stretching across his back.

Finally, Lee was home.


End file.
